how to cope w/ chick mortality?

[AmeliaBedelia]

Set aside some wallowing time - eat a treat while looking through any photos you took and just BE SAD. Then set aside some time to think about how well she was cared for during the time you had her and how nice and comfy she was up til the end. Do that for each, and then try to focus on the fact they had good, but short, lives. I find taking specific "sad time" and then after that trying to be philosophical about it helps. But you gotta take the sad time for yourself.

 

[ackie]

this post isnt about dealing with it emotionally, so feel free to skip and come back to it when you're feeling better -

if the chicks died just after delivery, you should check your hatcherys refund policy because they may reimburse you.

 

[Carson213]

i would just order 10%+ of what you want so that if some turn out to be roosters or die, you’re still good. i am going to order meat birds from the hatchery and am going to get 20% more than i need. having chicks die is just a part of the deal and you have to factor that into the process. if the rest are fine, i highly doubt it was anything you did.

 

[ackie]

i would just order 10%+ of what you want so that if some turn out to be roosters or die, you’re still good. i am going to order meat birds from the hatchery and am going to get 20% more than i need. having chicks die is just a part of the deal and you have to factor that into the process. if the rest are fine, i highly doubt it was anything you did.

I'm thinking I might need to edit my chick order for a backup male...

 

[Carson213]

I'm thinking I might need to edit my chick order for a backup male...

i prefer to have a rooster but i don’t hatch eggs. i just think the dynamic is better with one cockerel amongst the flock.

 

[Carson213]

i prefer to have a rooster but i don’t hatch eggs. i just think the dynamic is better with one cockerel amongst the flock.

if you get your chicks from a hatchery...they’re pretty well sexed. in my experience, it’s less than 5% of the time that you would get a male unless you wanted one. i’d be happy with one per 15 hens...just as crowd control

 

[Ebony Rose]

hello! some of yall might recognize me from the quail forums, but i just got some buff orpington chicks this year. they were mail ordered and so far two of them have suddenly died. one died while i was out on a short walk (sudden!) and the other was weak, i tried everything to revive her (syringe nutri drench, constant attention) but she soon died. probably either wry neck or just weak chick stuff. anyway i am heartbroken and feeling very very stupid (and maybe feeling residual grief from the loss of my quail flock last year) but do any of yall know how to emotionally deal with this? i can find plenty of advice on how to physically care for chicks but how do you cope with the loss? i knew this would happen but i am still crying over it. i hate burying chicks.

I assume that a certain percentage of chicks will die within the first week and chalk it up to abnormalities or defects. This is nature's way of culling weak, genetically unsound animals.

I also assume that when a chick dies that God needed one more perfect soul in heaven.

Both assumptions bring me a sense of peace.

 

[Carson213]

if you get your chicks from a hatchery...they’re pretty well sexed. in my experience, it’s less than 5% of the time that you would get a male unless you wanted one. i’d be happy with one per 15 hens...just as crowd control

on another note...if you pick them up from the hatchery right when they hatch...they will imprint on you. i think my chickens literally think i am their mom. sounds crazy...but i’m like the pied piper even with the rooster.

 

[ackie]

i prefer to have a rooster but i don’t hatch eggs. i just think the dynamic is better with one cockerel amongst the flock.

I meant in case my one male chick doesn't make it

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I'm thinking I might need to edit my chick order for a backup male...

When ordering males, I only need one of each breed, but I get two that way worst scenario one dies, but scenerio, I get to pick the better of the two to keep