Purchased 15 Black Sumatras from Murray McMurray.
They arrived Wednesday the 7th. When I opened the box, most were on tiptoe smashed against one another in the corner. One was already dead.
It took them some hours to come off their tiptoes. I wondered if they would forever walk oddly. I dipped each bird's beak into the water as I set it in the brooding area. As soon as they were placed under the heat lamp they were provided with their grogel on a paper plate and chick starter was sprinkled under the lamp and also provided in a tray away from the heat lamp. Most began pecking everything, the newspaper under them, the walls of the box, the food. Others sat with their necks craned skyward cheeping.
6 hours later, I provided electrolytes in the water. Unfortunately, when I checked on them during that time period, one had drowned in the water dish and another had curled up in the corner and died. Every eight hours, another one followed. I began noticing a couple that weren't eating or drinking and pecked the food infront of them with my finger like mama hen does. I dipped their beaks in the water repeatedly, some would drink. Some would act like it was poison. None of the weak comprehended what grogel or chick starter was for.
By the end of the day, I supplied grit, lightly sprinkled on the food, and continued putting just a sprinkle of starter under the lamp for the weaker ones to continue "learning." I took an eye dropper and force fed some electrolyte water to a weak one, hoping to buy it extra time to try to live.
At this point, the weak ones did not even seem to be trying. They would stare skyward, peeping pitifully while my "healthy" birds ran circles around them, pigged out on starter and grogel, and pushed them over. That night, another dropped. Next morning, another cold body. They weren't all likely smothered or too cold, because sometimes they were laying just outside of the middle of the heat lamp where any cold chick would have huddled. They also seemed to be comfortable, because during naps the group would lay in piles or two or three with beaks resting on the back of the next one. Never all piled over each other.
I called McMurray at the 48 hours mark and reported 7 deaths. Four hours after I made the call, numbers 8 and 9 were falling into comas under the heat lamp and having spastic breathing and bubbles in their spittle. (Congestive heart failure?) I was tempted to remove the dying bird early, but always let it die as comfortably as possible in the warmth of the lamp.
Friday morning the 9th, I expected to have find only one more dead and that would be the last of the weak ones...
There were three cold bodies stretched out under the lamp. All with empty crops. No poop at the vent in any of the deaths. Seemingly dead from dehydration and starvation. Strange, because I had checked their crops the other day and most had a little ball of food in there.
I ordered 15 more from Meyer hatchery, and am tempted to call McMurray back and report the other deaths whether they give me a credit/refund or nothing at all. It's been extremely disheartening watching so many die after following the books to the letter. I think it is worth noting that McMurray has all bad reviews on their Sumatras, but Meyer has all positive reviews on their Sumatras and is more confident in their live bird guarantee on their polices page.
Has anyone else had a bad experience like this with hatchery chicks where deaths are quite inexpiable? Also, since Sumatras are smaller than standard breeds, should they be brooded differently?
Thanks for reading through,
Laurisa
Aside- The Meyer hatchery batch is arriving Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday, making them a week different in age with any survivor I happen to have at that time. I plan on brooding them in a separate box due to temp differences, but may integrate them if they outnumber the remaining from the first batch.
They arrived Wednesday the 7th. When I opened the box, most were on tiptoe smashed against one another in the corner. One was already dead.
It took them some hours to come off their tiptoes. I wondered if they would forever walk oddly. I dipped each bird's beak into the water as I set it in the brooding area. As soon as they were placed under the heat lamp they were provided with their grogel on a paper plate and chick starter was sprinkled under the lamp and also provided in a tray away from the heat lamp. Most began pecking everything, the newspaper under them, the walls of the box, the food. Others sat with their necks craned skyward cheeping.
6 hours later, I provided electrolytes in the water. Unfortunately, when I checked on them during that time period, one had drowned in the water dish and another had curled up in the corner and died. Every eight hours, another one followed. I began noticing a couple that weren't eating or drinking and pecked the food infront of them with my finger like mama hen does. I dipped their beaks in the water repeatedly, some would drink. Some would act like it was poison. None of the weak comprehended what grogel or chick starter was for.
By the end of the day, I supplied grit, lightly sprinkled on the food, and continued putting just a sprinkle of starter under the lamp for the weaker ones to continue "learning." I took an eye dropper and force fed some electrolyte water to a weak one, hoping to buy it extra time to try to live.
At this point, the weak ones did not even seem to be trying. They would stare skyward, peeping pitifully while my "healthy" birds ran circles around them, pigged out on starter and grogel, and pushed them over. That night, another dropped. Next morning, another cold body. They weren't all likely smothered or too cold, because sometimes they were laying just outside of the middle of the heat lamp where any cold chick would have huddled. They also seemed to be comfortable, because during naps the group would lay in piles or two or three with beaks resting on the back of the next one. Never all piled over each other.
I called McMurray at the 48 hours mark and reported 7 deaths. Four hours after I made the call, numbers 8 and 9 were falling into comas under the heat lamp and having spastic breathing and bubbles in their spittle. (Congestive heart failure?) I was tempted to remove the dying bird early, but always let it die as comfortably as possible in the warmth of the lamp.
Friday morning the 9th, I expected to have find only one more dead and that would be the last of the weak ones...
There were three cold bodies stretched out under the lamp. All with empty crops. No poop at the vent in any of the deaths. Seemingly dead from dehydration and starvation. Strange, because I had checked their crops the other day and most had a little ball of food in there.
I ordered 15 more from Meyer hatchery, and am tempted to call McMurray back and report the other deaths whether they give me a credit/refund or nothing at all. It's been extremely disheartening watching so many die after following the books to the letter. I think it is worth noting that McMurray has all bad reviews on their Sumatras, but Meyer has all positive reviews on their Sumatras and is more confident in their live bird guarantee on their polices page.
Has anyone else had a bad experience like this with hatchery chicks where deaths are quite inexpiable? Also, since Sumatras are smaller than standard breeds, should they be brooded differently?
Thanks for reading through,
Laurisa
Aside- The Meyer hatchery batch is arriving Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday, making them a week different in age with any survivor I happen to have at that time. I plan on brooding them in a separate box due to temp differences, but may integrate them if they outnumber the remaining from the first batch.
