help im not sure whats wrong with my silkies

[silkielover08]

I ordered silkies on friday and im not sure whats wrong with them 1 minutes are eating and drinking and walking around energetic in the next they are laying down and not wanting to eat or drink a few hours later they end up dying I got 15 chicks on Friday and now today Tuesday I have 9 left and I'm not sure I've been googling and searching and I haven't found what's wrong with them so please help

 

[21hens-incharge]

There are a couple things to check first...
What is the temp in the brooder?
Is the food a fine grind like small sand particles or is it larger? If it is larger it may need crushed up to help them get enough in to maintain energy.

I am of course no expert and suggest reposting in this thread as there are many more people there that can help.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/11/raising-baby-chicks

and possibly here as well

https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/10/emergencies-diseases-injuries-and-cures

I know I am not much help but hope I was able to steer you in the right direction.

 

[drumstick diva]

What are you feeding them? How old are they? Are they in a good brooder with heat lamp? Do they know where the water is and how to drink it? Please do post in full detail at "emergencies, diseases, injuries, cures," thread

 

[N F C]

Sorry you are running into difficulties. The previous greeters have asked some good questions and posted some helpful links. Let us know if there is anything else you need.

Good luck!

 

[theoldchick]

Is this chick sick? Nope. Just resting.



Chicks go through periods of activity then stop, drop, and sleep. It's terrifying to the new chick owner who has never seen this before.

However, do make sure your chicks are active, eating and drinking. Monitor the temps and provide a 'thermal gradient'--a fancy phrase that means provide cooler areas in your brooder/pen





OMG they died! Nope. Just sleeping. Note the firm feces on the paper.



Died again! Nope. After a good peep fest they rolled over and went to sleep. Note the wing stretched out on the one chick. She's feeling good!



These pictures are just to show you that chicks do take naps often and it's normal.

If your chicks don't have active moments, are peeping very loud for long periods of time, or not eating then you need to get concerned. Silkie chicks are known to have issues with thermo-regulation--another fancy word meaning they are more susceptible changes in temperatures when they are very young.




Hope this helps.

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!

 

[NickyKnack]

Hello!

Welcome to BYC and the coop! There's a lot of great peeps here! Feel free to ask lots of questions. But most of all, make yourself at home. I'm so glad you decided to join the BYC family. I look forward to seeing you around BYC. It could be bad stock, stress or most likely temperature. The the others have stated. Good luck with the remaining nine. So sorry for your losses.