Chicks dying due to shipping?

[smilyface510]

Ok so I received my chicks from Meyer hatchery. I had ordered 50 of the Rainbow assorted Pullet special they have going on. 5 were DOA, one died shortly after it arrived. 2 more died over night, a couple which doesn't seem like it'll live past today, and there are more to come from the way it looks. Now I also got my order of Silkies the same day and those are doing great an none of them have died yet. All of the chicks have had their chick dripped when they got here and were fed Gro-Gel and had Electrolyte in the drinking water. I notice that Meyer's chicks didn't look all that healthy, very small, and weak when I opened the box. Maybe it's the shipping ride here I don't know. Have this ever happen to you before?

 

[earthfriendlyfarm]

i would call Meyers immediately and report this. Make sure you do not put the silkies in with the ones that are dying. You don't know at this point if it is contagious or not, but don't take a chance. Have you ever heard of Rescue Remedy? I think a part of this sad problem could be like you said the trip. If they are stressed out the Rescue Remedy will help immediately. Just a drop in each beak or on their body and rub it in, and then in their water put more.

We buy our chicks locally from our feed store. So we can see no pasty butt and mostly girls. But we are up to 5 roosters now.

I hope you don't loose anymore of your new babies. It is so heartbreaking.

 

[MeettheFlockers]

At such a young age, I'd 99% say that it's mushy chick (omphalitis) and it's very difficult to do much. Start with a sulfa drug in the drinking water and also dab a bit of hydrogen peroxide on the yolk stump near their vent which is where they contract the bacteria. It's REALLLLLLLLY common because all you need is a few leftover egg shells in the incubator to pass it along right through the shell or to newly hatched chicks.

It's most likely something they contracted during hatching in the incubator that was not sanitary (just imagine what can grow at a 100 degree temp.... blech!). But Omphalitis also can grow in the brooder too. You may want to clean out your brooder with Tek-Trol spray or a water/bleach solution.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Check the umbilicus; if it is omphalitis, it will be swollen and enflamed.

 

[chickerdoodle]

Stating the obvious but be sure none have pasty butt.

 

[chickbird]

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what is rescue rememdy and where do you purchase it?????????????

 

[chickerdoodle]

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what is rescue rememdy and where do you purchase it?????????????

Its a Bach Flower Remedy. Any natural product store--like a New Seasons or any organic store. Its commonly used for stress or anxiety-- even for people too.

 

[GeeVee]

yeah it is a homeopathic remedy. around here it is commonly found in whole foods (do you have those where you are?) or maybe trader joe's or oliver's if you have those.
it works wonders! we had a pullet who was mauled by a dog, half of her body looked like a raw (skinned) chicken and lo and behold she recovered. i would recommend it!

 

[chicksbestfriend]

I never heard of using Rescue Remedy on a chicken before, but will definitely keep that in mind. I always use it on the dogs and the pig when the fire crackers are going off, sure keeps them stress free.

As for your arrival of chicks, so sorry to hear that so many were either DOA or sickly. I incubate my own, I have tried that Gro Gel stuff, and I think it made my chicks sick because I started losing alot of them. What I do now, I put 12 tablespoons in a gallon of water in place of using any electrolites. I dip their beaks in it to give them a taste of it and to encourage them to drink. I also start off my day old chicks with hard boiled eggs, finely chopped for their first feeding.(afterall, isnt that what they eat for the 21 days before hatching?) After that, I switch them to turkey or broiler start to give them a strong beginning, then switch them over to chick start. I have lost only a handful out of the hundreds that I have hatched. Sure hope things are looking up for you and the chicks.

 

[MeettheFlockers]

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Very true but it can also be only inflamed on the interior. I had a couple cases like that, which appeared normal anterior.