Heat stroke killed one of my chicks, one other is damaged

[liljunie]

I put my chicks (10 days) out this morning and set up a sun shade and boxes to go into. I went out, longer than I anticipated and the sun shifted leaving a little shade but evidently not enough, or they didn't know to go to it. I found one of my chicks dead and another one with heatstroke (legs straight out and floppy), I took into the a/c bedroom and cooled him off. He is now sitting upright , and looking bright eyed but his legs are not working. One food it curled under him, I have tried to flatten it but it doesn't stay that way. He is drinking lots of water and kind of chirping in a purring way (not sure how to describe it). Do you think he will recover??? Is there any physical therapy I should do for his legs??

My silkies were out also and they were in the shade doing fine, the affected chicks were EExleghorn mixes. I feel like the worst chicken parent ever!

 

[Fancychooklady]

Oh don't beat yourself up. I lost 2 to heat stroke in January. Stuff happens! I did have one survive, I gave it electrolyte 's and it took a couple of weeks for it recover. I've read on this site, that you should put them in a cold bath. I hose the trees overhead and let it trickle down on them. You are not the worst chicken parent ever, just learning like the rest of us.

 

[redsoxs]

Do what you can to keep them cool - I've had this happen before and they generally recover fine. With people (and maybe chickens) I think the extremities are the first to stop working in times of heat or cold crisis - once the heart and brain have recovered, the legs should as well.
Work on some shade for them. I also like to hose down the ground in the shade - they scratch down into the cool dirt - seems to help. Good luck to you.

 

[liljunie]

They are still in the house, I put them out for a few hours each day on the deck. I am angry at myself for not being more careful...it definitely will not happen again!!! Thank you for the support!

 

[anthriel]

We had a similar situation a couple of weeks ago... we had a 10 week old chick who was flat on her chest, her completely limp legs stretched way out behind her. I put her in a box and brought her inside when I observed another hen walk right up to her and start beating her up... poor chick had a fairly bloody head before I could chase that dumb hen off.

We "force fed" the chick water with a little Gatorade mixed in (I have no idea what I'm doing, btw, but electrolytes and glucose sounded good) and she visibly perked up after about a day. She was back out with the flock within 48 hours and has been doing fine.

We lost a younger chick just yesterday, though. I'm not sure if they had the same problem, but the water thing didn't help him at all.

And believe me, you are not the worst chicken parent ever. My poor chickens are mostly surviving in spite of me!

 

[liljunie]

Thanks Anthriel! I never thought I would get so attached to my chickens. I have had chickens for less than 6 months and am learning something every day!

 

[anthriel]

liljunie, I so hear you!

We bought a property which had been abandoned, and the chickens living in the back yard were pretty much feral... no one had lived here for 6 months or so. We moved here for the horse property, having always lived in a neighborhood before, where the most exotic kind of pet kept were little fluffy dogs out for an evening stroll with their owners. Chickens? We had no idea about chickens. We inherited them, so to speak.

Since we had a mixture of hens and roosters (5 chickens total), and since we were terrible about picking up eggs, we now have many little chicks. We are getting much better about picking up eggs, and we are feeding the little guys many times a day, becoming much more involved with chickens than we ever thought possible.

Chickens are REALLY cool. Fun, social, interesting little creatures. Watching those adorable little fluffballs grow up into sleek hens has been really rewarding. Observing a total pint-sized peeper pounce on and neatly dispose of a cockroach the size of her head was pretty impressive. Witnessing our undersized, cranky Aunt Biddy literally fly into the face of a Harris hawk who was perched on the fence watching her chicks with way too much interest was sobering. She is a fierce momma, and I totally commiserated with the momma bear in that small, feathered creature.

Holding that little baby yesterday as it died was really sad.



I think we are becoming attached, too. Just sayin'!

 

[Alphagamchick]

Ha, you all will have to join "chicken lovers anonymous" like the rest of us. I have had chickens for a total of about 11 years. Each one has it's own personality and they have a way of wiggling themselves into your heart. Look at the number of folks on this site who keep chickens. Welcome to the life of a chicken keeper. I hope they bring you many years of happiness!

 

[anthriel]

Ha, you all will have to join "chicken lovers anonymous" like the rest of us. I have had chickens for a total of about 11 years. Each one has it's own personality and they have a way of wiggling themselves into your heart. Look at the number of folks on this site who keep chickens. Welcome to the life of a chicken keeper. I hope they bring you many years of happiness!

Ah, I'm sorry I didn't see this post until now!

Thank you for the encouragement, and the chicken lovers' fellowship. I really didn't know that the darned things had so much personality... who knew? And chicks have to be just about the cutest little creatures God ever made. I'm not sure I'm doing them any favors, overall, because I don't know a darned thing about keeping chickens properly. But I am trying to learn, and they are doing okay, so far. I hope.