Dead baby chick

[lauranickerson]

I bought a few chicks from Tractor Supply last Wednesday (6 days ago, almost 7). One is a Golden Sebright, one white Silkie, one White Leghorn, and a Rouen duckling. Rouen, Sebright, and Leghorn have been energetic bouncy babies and pretty loud. The Silkie has been calm from before the lady put it in the box at the store. It's always been really sleepy, and would fall asleep in my hand and wouldn't hold it's head up, so it's rest it's beak on my hand. I always thought it was soooo cute when it did that. Every time I checked on them, it was sleeping. I didn't see it eat or drink as much as the others. It also would climb under the others, even if I was holding a couple in my hand; always wanted bottom. Well I just went to check on them, and saw the little silkie under another, and kind of wedged up against the red chick feeder. Didn't think much of it until it didn't move when I reached in the box. Ended up being dead.


Question is: Did it just suffocate from being a mattress? Did it possibly have a disease or sickness? I plan on switching out the brooding box and disinfecting the watering thing and feeder, along with switching out wood chips.

Has anyone seen this before? I guess me thinking it was just a really laid back baby chick was wrong.

 

[gamebirdsonly]

Yes it happens. I always loose at least one chick each hatch, some are just weaker and don't survive. Sorry about your loss.

 

[fogandcopper]

This may be caused by it being too cold. I have rescued many a silkie, both young and old, from freezing itself to death. make sure your heat lamp or whateer you use is about 6 inches from the ground.

 

[lauranickerson]

This may be caused by it being too cold. I have rescued many a silkie, both young and old, from freezing itself to death. make sure your heat lamp or whateer you use is about 6 inches from the ground.

I thought maybe it was because it was too hot. But the others are hopping around and chirping just fine. I'm revamping their box anyways, so I'll make sure they still have good light in there, with a little room to escape it if they get too hot. Thanks for the reply.

 

[lauranickerson]

Yes it happens. I always loose at least one chick each hatch, some are just weaker and don't survive. Sorry about your loss.

Thank you. I know it happens from time to time. It's just my first one to go since I owned chickens over 10 years ago, and it was my only silkie. Wah.

Couldn't have been boring barred rock or production red.

Maybe I'll have better luck with the silkies next year (got it on sale because it was TSC's 'last shipment' sale. I would care even more if I paid full price, as terrible as that sounds).