HELP..silkie chicks arrived today and are dropping like flies..

[Christinalandry2013]

Hi..i ordered 10 silkies and they arrived usps today...one doa..one died within a few hours and now another is about to die an hour after that one( u can see it laying diwn in pic)..they have heat lamp (not too warm/cold)..! And access to electrolytes/vitamin water and food/mush. My 7 y o is gonna be sooo upset as am i. Please help...

 

[Christinalandry2013]

Hi..i ordered 10 silkies and they arrived usps today...one doa..one died within a few hours and now another is about to die an hour after that one( u can see it laying diwn in pic)..they have heat lamp (not too warm/cold)..! And access to electrolytes/vitamin water and food/mush. My 7 y o is gonna be sooo upset as am i. Please help...

The one laying down is still alive but barely. Have tried to give vitamin water w syringe n dipping beak. Massaging neck to help drink.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

What is the temp?
It doesn't look like they have quite enough room to escape from the heat if they needed to.
What vitamins are you giving?
Were they acting unwell when they arrived, or did it start after?
Do they have runny or bloody poop?
Do they have pasty bum?
What is being used as bedding?
Sorry, just trying to make an educated guess on what is happening.
ETA: after looking at the pic again, they look cold...

 

[B-Goock]

What's the temp under the light at the bedding? They look bunched up so assuming they are cold & there's no reflector hood on the light or guard.
How long was the shipping time. Where'd they ship from?

 

[TheOddOneOut]

The one laying down is still alive but barely. Have tried to give vitamin water w syringe n dipping beak. Massaging neck to help drink.

Maybe keep him/her seperated from the others. like put a small box in the brooder right under the light. So the others cant pick on them

 

[diamondsilkies]

Cute chicks! Sorry to hear about your troubles. I agree with the others, they do look cold. Week old chicks should be kept at around 95 F, which can be reduced by 5 degrees every week. (so 90 for 2 weeks old, 85 for 3 weeks old, etc.). Are they chirping loudly? Have you introduced them to the food/water?

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Don't let your kid handle them, it might be really stressful for already sick chicks.

 

[HogWildAboutChix]

Where are you located? What have the overnight temps been? Most of the mail order hatcheries change their minimum chick order April 1st. But we have been experiencing COLD temps in my area.

Wonder if they got cold during shipping?

Take extra care to warm them. Check your surface temp in brooder. Put a towel or something soft and warm in there they can cuddle with.

Have you observed them drinking? May need to dip their breaks in the water, if you havent already.

Just throwing out ideas! Best of luck! Check the refund policy. Most require a prompt call to report deaths.

 

[NatJ]

This hatchery blog suggests that banty chicks may need a higher-than-normal brooder temperature right at first:

https://blog.cacklehatchery.com/how-to-care-for-bantam-chicks-shipped-by-mail/

No matter what temperature is "supposed" to be right, if the chicks huddle under the light, then they are too cold. You want it warm enough that they spread out a little bit into a circle. (And, of course, there needs to be an area that's cooler at one end of the box, so they can move farther away from the heat when they are warmer.)

And since your first post was a few hours ago-- if they were cold at first, you may have already solved the problem

 

[Christinalandry2013]

Cute chicks! Sorry to hear about your troubles. I agree with the others, they do look cold. Week old chicks should be kept at around 95 F, which can be reduced by 5 degrees every week. (so 90 for 2 weeks old, 85 for 3 weeks old, etc.). Are they chirping loudly? Have you introduced them to the food/water?

Yes food n water temps 96/97...lost the 3 that dydnt look well from pickup the rest r running n eating n drinking.