EMERGENCY!! Chicks keep dieing, I need help!

[rollkeeg877]

I've herd that hatchery is not to good with the chicks so maybe there having problems from being shipped

 

[crittercrazyTN]

i dont know about the sugar i ve never used it but i did forget to mention the vitamin pack in the water the one i use is agrilab you can get at tractor supply or on line at valley vet for 1.95 1 pack would be enough to raise probably 50 chicks so here is what works for us water+vitamin+corrid(amprolium) and medicated chick starter most of time purina starter in the red bag DO NOT USE AMPROLIUM ON DUCKS !!!!!!

 

[yinepu]

A lot of people have said to put sugar in the water but how much? I have new chicks coming in a couple weeks so I'm trying to gather as much info as possible.

For white sugar:
1 tablespoon of sugar to 1 quart of water (make sure the water is "baby warm'.. so about 98º F )

For brown sugar (this is what I prefer for shipped turkey poults but I have used it for chicks as well)
1 teaspoon brown sugar to 1 quart warm water
if available add in:
1/4 teaspoon vitamin electrolyte powder
1/2 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar (with the mother is preferred.. but regular is ok as well if the other is not available)

for ducklings and goslings:
1/2 teaspoon vitamin electrolyte powder to 3 gallons water or 1/2 cup sugar per gallon of water
allow them a drink them remove the water for an hour. then offer it again. removing it again for another hour. Some ducklings and goslings will "water log" drown themselves from drinking too much water too fast

DO NOT use water softener water since the sodium content is too high

 

[mderby48]

That's very helpful, thank you. Where would I find electrolyte powder?

 

[KatieBugg]

On shipped chicks in cold weather...do not give cold tap water instead make it luke warm, that will help them warm up and get going it will also prevent further chilling. I have always given shipped chicks the warm water along with adding warm water to the chick starter to make a warm mush for them. This has seem to work wonders for me. I also use Nutri drench and give a drop to each chick as I pull them out of the box then dip their beak in luke warn water that has Save-a-Chick in it. I find doing this has worked much better than sugar in the water.

 

[yinepu]

That's very helpful, thank you. Where would I find electrolyte powder?

TSC carries Sav-a-chick in little packets

Otherwise most of the hatcheries also sell vitamin electrolyte powder

 

[3riverschick]

My mom ordered 60 white orpingtons fro mcmurray, and we only have 18 left. When we got them home, yesterday morning, I got the heat lamps set up (one on each side of the stock tank) put lots of hay, to keep them warm, gave food and water and made sure the cats couldn't get in. They kept dieing so I'm like what the heck! So I brought them all in ( the 18 that are left. there may be more but they don't stand still) but they are still kinda dieing. 2 more just died.

their symptoms are that they get tired, then they just sit there, I dip their beak in the water to see if their thirsty, nothing. Then they get soooo tired that they fall over and don't move, just breath. then they die! Any ideas on what this could be?

I don't want them all to die, their just soooo cute !

Thanks in advance!

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Most probably they died from travel stress. Their metabolism gets low from the travel. Then it can't recover and they just fade away.
See the thread in this forum on "How To Deal With Travel Stress In Baby Chicks". It will explain a simple remedy for this.
Best Regards,
Karen in western PA, USA