Got chicks-Question about mortality rates

[Elphaba2140]

Well, everyone is settled now. I had one DOA and have lost 3 more in the first 8 hours. There is another that looks like it may not make it either.

Is this common? I gave electrolyte water as soon as I got them home. All the others are up and running around and eating gro-gel and chick starter and small mealworms. The temp under the lamps is about 94 degrees. Got mine from McMurray in case anyone was going to ask where I purchased them. I live in Chicago area and it did get cold last night. There was not so nice lady at the post office would not give me them until the opened (despite the fact that someone called me much earlier to tell me they had arrived).

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I answered on your other thread. You need to get some sugar water into the weak ones, until they are strong enough to start drinking and eating on their own.

 

[Elphaba2140]

Thanks-I changed to sugar water but number 5 lost the fight.

. Everyone else is doing good. I posted pictures if you want to see.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Sometimes they get a rough ride from the Post Office. I always do the sugar water/electrolyte/vitamin thing with them as soon as they arrive, but if they had a hard trip there may not be much you can do. The year before last I had an order with the worst shipping losses I've ever had. Not the hatcherie's fault, just a bad trip. I knew as soon as I opened the box it was going to be a disaster. Had several dead when we got them and lost seven more in the following forty eight hours in spite of everything I knew to do to save them.

.....Alan.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I'm really sorry you lost chicks. I'm sorry anyone has lost chicks. Sometimes, even when you try really hard, it still happens. Good nursing usually helps.

In my case, it was chicks from Ideal that came a day late and were in bad shape. The ones from MM were super healthy. I think chicks from any hatchery can arrive late and have problems or arrive on time and be fine. I've read about it happening both ways on this forum, from a lot of different hatcheries. Plus it can be too cold or too hot for the chicks in transit, in more extreme weather.

It's really good to try to order from a hatchery that's close to you and during a time when the weather isn't too hot or too cold. Still, some people make all the right choices and have trouble or make a lot of poorer choices and it all works out fine. That's just the way it is. Sometimes, it's heartbreaking.

Hatching eggs at your home avoids the shipping of chicks, but there is plenty of heartbreak to be had doing that, too. Poor chicks. Then they grow up and have to avoid being eaten by predators. I'm starting to feel so bad, I need to go out and give my girls some hulled sunflower seeds.

I hope you don't lose any more.

 

[bagendhens]

you do have a chick grit for them handy right? with you feeding them mealworms...just something to check, make sure its got no oyster shell, the extra calcium can be a problem for chicks.

 

[Elphaba2140]

Thanks for the advice everyone. Being a nurse came in handy! I have raised baby cockatiels and finches before but this chick thing is really different.
I do have baby grit but did not put it in just yet. From what I read I thought I was to wait a couple of days. The mealworms are home raised and so most were really tiny and not hard shelled yet, just perfect chick size. I will place the grit in now if that is what I should do.
Lost one more this am. Golly Gee. It did get really cold here over the weekend. I got an email back from MM and I am to call with a total loss count tomorrow. I am up to 6 now. They said that is unusual for them. I was wondering do they normally put warmers in the boxes on cold weather shipping? Still it is sad to keep losing so many. The one this am I felt was sick from the moment I got it though. It had loose green stools and despite cleaning and drying its butt from the get go it just lay down today and passed. Keeping my fingers crossed.