Help! Baby chicks dying:(

[Montanomom3]

I have 6 baby chicks. I heard cheapingn loudly from the brooder. Our largest one was on its back looking like it wa shaving a seizure i turned it over and held it. It couldn’t stand up but could move it’s head. I dipped its beak in the water a couple of times and it seemed like it was drinking it. Then it just died. After it died it had some mucus looking stuff come out of like it’s nostril. I have 6 other chicks and they now keep flipping on their backs and one keeps stumbling backwards. I am freaking out everything seemed normal until the first chick.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I suggest poultry nutri drench found at TSC. Dose some directly to each beak, a drip just below the nostril. I hold them in my hand facing the bend of my finger which is used to help catch and direct the drip if needed. They usually gobble and swallow when it roll around into their beaks. If you can find the nutri drench, another vitamin is recommended. A liquid bird vitamin from the pet department maybe at Wally. As a LAST choice or IF you ALREADY have it on hand... Poly vi sol baby vitamins with NO iron.

I would do 1 drop every hour until I see more normal behavior.

Sometimes I will add a homemade electrolyte solution, for shipped chicks to the water... (I prefer the brown or white sugar over molasses which can have a laxative effect)..
https://104homestead.com/poultry-electrolytes/

And crushing the feed a little extra might help.

Did you make sure they were eating feed before placing them on that bedding? What kind of feed? How long have ya had them? Do they have heat? Just looking for clues to try and help!

 

[Montanomom3]

I suggest poultry nutri drench found at TSC. Dose some directly to each beak, a drip just below the nostril. I hold them in my hand facing the bend of my finger which is used to help catch and direct the drip if needed. They usually gobble and swallow when it roll around into their beaks. If you can find the nutri drench, another vitamin is recommended. A liquid bird vitamin from the pet department maybe at Wally. As a LAST choice or IF you ALREADY have it on hand... Poly vi sol baby vitamins with NO iron.

I would do 1 drop every hour until I see more normal behavior.

Sometimes I will add a homemade electrolyte solution, for shipped chicks to the water... (I prefer the brown or white sugar over molasses which can have a laxative effect)..
https://104homestead.com/poultry-electrolytes/

And crushing the feed a little extra might help.

Did you make sure they were eating feed before placing them on that bedding? What kind of feed? How long have ya had them? Do they have heat? Just looking for clues to try and help!

Thank you. Do you think they will survive the night? We don’t live real close to tractor supply. I hatched them myself. They are eating and drinking for sure. They have heat lamp and i checked the temperature it is running 93 degrees. They are about 2 and 3 days old. I am laying in bed getting my daughter to sleep. I’m trying to get my husband to tell me what the feed is called. I know it’s a medicated chick starter

 

[funnyfoshay]

i ordered chicks last year for the first time.
..about half of them died in shipping or in the first 3 days.

 

[danceswithronin]

My worry is that they have been swallowing that bedding material they're on.

 

[Montanomom3]

i ordered chicks last year for the first time.
..about half of them died in shipping or in the first 3 days.

I have some baby chicks that are almost 4 weeks old i hatched, that came from a hatchery and all 6 are thriving. But these i hatched and got the eggs locally.

 

[Montanomom3]

My worry is that they have been swallowing that bedding material they're on.

I was just told that it was too small i had no idea and now i feel horrible. I was going to get the large bedding but the lady at Sutherland’s convinced me to get this

 

[50-45-1]

I would be suspicious of that bedding you have them in. It looks small enough for them to be eating. Is it cedar? The fumes from cedar will kill them at a young age. keep my young chicks on newspaper and paper towel for the first week to insure they only eat the chick starter.
Also do you by chance in a plastic tote? The venilation in a plastic tote is awful and it can build up heat and depleate oxygen level. Some plastic totes have a strong plastic smell.
I hope you dont loose any more.
Keep us updated.

 

[Montanomom3]

I would be suspicious of that bedding you have them in. It looks small enough for them to be eating. Is it cedar? The fumes from cedar will kill them at a young age. keep my young chicks on newspaper and paper towel for the first week to insure they only eat the chick starter.
Also do you by chance in a plastic tote? The venilation in a plastic tote is awful and it can build up heat and depleate oxygen level. Some plastic totes have a strong plastic smell.
I hope you dont loose any more.
Keep us updated.

It is pine bedding but I’m going to take it out. It is a plastic tote but it’s the same one i used for my chicks that are now almost 4 weeks it doesn’t smell at all to me. I have a small metal dog kennel I’m going to switch them to as well. Of course this is going on the one night my daughter is fighting sleep

 

[BullChick]

Most chicks are not stupid enough to eat the bedding. To be cautious, simply place paper towels over the pine bedding for a few days.