Help! Dying baby chicks!

[anjbagley]

I recieved an order of 33 chicks from mmh on Monday. When I opened the box all but two or three looked dead. On further examination I found several of them to be breathing but in bad shape. I took them home and warmed them, got gro gel into them, massaged the really bad ones and after about an hour of this I had 22 alive. (amazing enough) Problem is that they keep dying. Every day I am loosing 2 or 3 more chicks. I am down to 11 live as I just pulled another one out this morning. They look healthy, are eating and running around the brooder and then are just dead. I am doing bum checks 3 times a day and still almost 1/2 will be yucky at each check. What in the world is going on. Is it just because they had such a bad start on life that they are not making it or is there some kind of disease go ing on? I am supposed to be getting my replacement chicks from mm tomarrow. They wanted to get them here fast so that they could still all brood together but I am not sure if it is safe to put the new ones in with these chicks unless I know that it is common for chicks to keep dying when they shipped so poorly. Please if anyone could help I am desperate. I don't want anymore dead babies. In all the years I have had chicks shipped in I have never had an experience like this!

 

[superchemicalgirl]

I can't be of too much help but can you get some extra protein into them? Scrambled eggs? High protein chick starter mixed with warm water to encourage eating?

I'd keep them apart just to be safe.

Good luck, keep us posted.

 

[arch_cpj]

sounds like they got a good chill and now a secondary infection is setting in Nind site is 20/20 I think Id have put them on an broad spectrum antibiotic after that stress... I think the best thing to do now is to buy some electrolyte I use 1/4 tsp per gallon of H2O... I also think if they were mine Id have them on agrimycin (oxytetracycline) I use agrimycin-343 you can use either 1/2 tsp per gallon which gives you 400mg tetracycline or you can give the max doe 1tsp which is 800mg you can mix the electrolyte and the oxy give them this as their only source of h2o... Personally Id contact the hatchery!!!!!