chick down! should I worry about the other? is it my fault?

[GoatHouseProductions]

I had an americauna and a barred rock baby in our brooder with two runner ducklings. We were planning on separating them once we got our split brooder finished this weekend. We just got them last friday, they were a day old. We cleaned the box at least twice a day, made sure everyone was warm enough, and didn't let the brooder get wet or gross (as ducks are apt to do) knowing that chicks are more delicate than bouncy duck babies.

Well the americauna died yesterday. Truth be told, I kinda called this one. She acted...sleepy...since day 1. Not really sickly, but this is my first time raising chickens and I didn't really know what to look out for.

We did handle her a bit. I try to get my birds used to human contact early on. Could this have hurt her? Could being with the ducks have hurt her? Should I fear for poor, lonely Shoes? We're going to pick up another chick this weekend. And she seems much spunkier than her counterpart.

Did I kill my baby?

 

[Anianna]

Unless you were really rough, handling her shouldn't have done any harm. If she was already lethargic before spending any length of time with the ducklings, that probably didn't do her harm, either. Was she eating and drinking? Since you have them together, what were you feeding them all? Did her poops look normal? Are any of your ducklings or the barred rock acting oddly?

 

[forestrymom]

We got 10 chicks. Our dog got 4 of them and then 2 days later one of the bigger chicks was acting funny at night when I went to check on them, and the next morning he was dead.

None of the others died, and we are a week beyond that episode and so far, so good. I'm sorry you lost one! (((HUGS)))