chicks, gosslings, dicklings....

[longoriaacre]

I don't know how to change my title... ehhhh. I appologize, I'm posting from my phone. Can't delete and repost, or change title. Only edit body of post. I'm sorry....

Backround - I hatch an incubator of chicks every saturday. My most popular seller here is my SBEL. A hybrid, hearty chicken. (Leghorn/Americauna) Also my Marans, Brahma, and Wyandotte. I keep in contact with my chicken families and also keep one from each hatch to grow old on our farm. Many friends have my chicks and I have many repeat customers.

Last week I sold 7 chicks (4 SBEL, 3 Americauna) to a nice young lady. (A local, so no shipping involved.) I got a phone call last night that 3 SBEL have died and 1 looks close. She said they get weak and wobble around, lay down, and eventually die.

I have my suspicions, and also a close friend that is a vet.... but I would like to leave all that out, state the situation and see what other people think.

7 ducklings in the shower, a gosseling, and the 7 (now 4) chicks in a box.... all in the same bathroom.

Chicks are said to be eating Purina chick starter. In a box with 1/4 shavings approx 18 inches deep. A heat lamp approx 1 foot above the box. No thermometer or hydrometer to get accurate reading present.

Was told extra humidity should be getting sucked out by exhaust fan on ceiling. And extra water in tub is draining through tub/shower floor.

Was told gosseling was honking at chicks, but very quietly as it has not developed it's honk.

I offered money back, and made suggestion, but don't want that to influence comments. I had never had someone loose chicks I hatched like this, so wanted some input. I sold 30 others from this hatch (14 being SBEL), contacted each chick family and all others are just fine. I have 1 from this batch at home, it is a-okay.

I appriciate your time in reading and commenting.

 

[longoriaacre]

Holy cow, meant DUCKLINGS, I don't see where I can edit title or delete from my phone. I'm so sorry. Admin help? Eeekkkk.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Still laughing, you can flag it and ask for the moderator to fix.

Sounds like the lady doesn't know how to correctly brood the chicks, they are probably dying from heat exhaustion. I wouldn't brood ducks and geese with chicks because of the wetness and potential of moldy feed.

It's up to you if you refund the price, you should have some sort of written guarantee or a written no guarantee, but that doesn't always help. I wouldn't sell her anymore, until she learns what it is she needs to do. So sad for the chicks. Perhaps you can tell her about this website.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Sorry, have to laugh, totally something I would do

I can see a couple of things that could go wrong here. Small (I assume) box with lamp hanging a foot from the floor. How big of a box? How many watts is the bulb in the lamp? They could easily be overheated.
Ducklings in the shower? So they're separated off from the rest? And the chicks and gosling are together? If that's the case, goslings are messy little critters. No matter how much the exhaust fan runs, if she isn't cleaning a bunch, and their shavings are wet....not good either.

It sounds like a serious case of mismanagement to me. She needs less heat/more space.

 

[Jensownzoo]

Heat exhaustion is pretty high on my list too. The bathroom is already probably 60-75 degrees (or higher). Add a heat lamp to that and they might not have enough space to get away from it to cool off in a box in a bathroom.

 

[longoriaacre]

Thank you guys. For taking the time to read and comment. All other families and mine are still a-ok. Pet parent doesn't want to move them, as she has *no room anywhere else*. So I have definitely decided to refuse future sale, and will come up with a reasonable disclaimer to go with my littles. Eeehhhhh. I'm 2 yrs in and this is my first encounter with this.... I hate to see any creature suffer.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I guess you're lucky it took so long, hopefully it doesn't happen again.