Help! 2-3 day old chicks won't eat!

[jsweitz]

I've been hatching ducks for 2 years, and never experienced this kind of loss after the duck hatched. Out of 10 chicks that have hatched in the past week, 4 died after a couple days. They had dried off and seemed like they were doing well. They were all walking around and peeping. I check on them at least once an hour and every time they are doing well, then I come back and one is dead! I keep the brooder clean, with free water and food. (I don't think it's a bacteria as 6 are doing well). I have tried putting them on a blue blanket so that their food does not blend in, to encourage pecking and eating. I also added ground up boiled egg to the feed. I've also tried sugars water. I currently have a two day old chick - who is by himself in the brooder as he hatched several days after the other ones and I was worried he would get trampled - he does not want to eat or drink unless I have dipping his beak in the water! Help!

 

[jsweitz]

Forgot to mention they are Barred Rocks... Don't know if that matters...

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

I'm not sure why you're loosing so many, sorry for your losses. There can be many reasons they just up and die: poor health in their parents, brooder temperature off, incubation issue, cocci or just plain old failure to thrive.
But, putting them on the dark blanket or paper towels for a while is a good idea. I sometimes have to use a finger and "peck" at the food with my chicks and they get that its food after that. I've also had a few that needed to have their beaks dipped quite a few times before they started drinking on their own. You could try some baby vitamins (Poly-Vi-Sol, without the iron) to perk them up. NutriDrench is good stuff to if your feed store carries it.
Good luck, I hope the rest pull through for you!

 

[CollegeChicken]

sometimes Ill drop some flecks of the chick starter in the water bowl..this gives the chick a speck to look at almost like a target and often times helps them discover where and how to use the water dish