First death....:-(

[huntsman]

Our little Australorp died yesterday evening.

Three or four weeks old, and I paid a premium to avoid just this heartache, but I guess they go when they go, right?

She'd been timid and reserved for two days and we eventually separated her from the other seven, but she just slipped away quietly at dusk. Sadly my daughter was tending her at the time, and you can imagine her 15yr old reaction...

Should I have spotted this sooner or taken her to a vet? Quarantined earlier?

 

[canada-goose]

I'm so sorry. That's terrible.

Losing a bird is very sad.

 

[huntsman]

Thanks, Kooshie -

I'm actually ok with the loss (kinda!) but was wondering if I should have been more alert? Checked more? Etc...

 

[chickerdoodle]

I am so sorry about your loss.

I can't say what you could've done or if anything would have helped. Sometimes they are just not hardy and don't make it no matter what you do. If all the others are fine it was probably unavoidable. If you are really worried you missed something you could post all the signs you noticed early on and maybe someone could help.

 

[huntsman]

Thanks, cd -

There were no obvious signs, but bear in mind that I'm a novice, so might have missed them...

My daily schedule was:

Early Morning - top up feed (starter crumble) and water
Move chicks from heat source to slightly cooler area.
Around 10am, place them in a shade cloth cage under a shady tree in the garden.
Check water and feed all day, keeping both topped up.
At dusk, return the chicks to their Rubbermaid and heat source....

 

[Carpe DiHen]

Oh gosh, I'm so sorry you lost a chick. That must have been so sad for your daughter, but a good lesson too?

 

[rancher hicks]

I hate these words but sometimes they are true. These things happen. All the information I've read there are times this happens and unless you do a full work up you won't know why. I suppose that just like one person in the house gets sick the rest don't. Iv'e had 6 chicks in the brooder and then one morning one looked sick and in a matter of seconds died. Everyone else is still going strong, and they are months old.
So what to do?

Honestly I think if most of us could just remember that while some birds are neglected ours are given the best care for however long they live and if given a choice they would choose us to be their caregivers. Be encouraged.

Rancher

 

[Happy Chooks]

I know how you feel. We had a red sex link that was my son's (9). About 2 weeks after she started laying, we lost her to a hawk. Why does it have to be the kids chickens that get taken?

He was upset of course.

Anyhow, he learned from it (as we all did) and we came up with a way to protect our chickens from future hawk attacks. And now he's excited because we have a rooster now, and can make our own black sex links.

I'm sure there isn't anything you could have done for your chick. I'm so sorry.

 

[huntsman]

Thanks for your kindness, folks -

I was a little concerned about two things...

1. Were they too cramped? (100liter Rubbermaid for 8 x chicks, each one the size of a man's fist)

2. Could a draft be a problem if I put them in the garden?

 

[huckleberryfarm]

I can totally relate. And I'm so sorry! We are first-time chick owners. We had 11 silkies delivered at 4-wks old. Two weeks later, I went out and one was just kind of lying there but was totally fine earlier. We brought her in and my 5-yr old daughter was holding her in a blanket. The chick started gasping and had water coming out of it's beak and then nothing. Just died. I freaked out! I was convinced the rest would die but it's been three weeks and all are fine. I still have no idea what happened. It was sad but we all tried to tell ourselves that these things happen and we just have to get used to it. Hopefully the rest of yours are great! It stinks to lose any animal.