I cant believe what just happened :'((((

[Moorat]

Its 5am here and Im awake cause I woke up to my newborn silkie chicks cheeping cause there brooder is next to my bed where I can always see them but in this matter even that didnt save my little cuckoo silkie chick

I could hear a realy loud cheep that woke me up and I have already woken up 3 times tonight from there cheeping and its usually just random but this time in my sleep I could hear really loud cheeping and then when I actually opened my eyes it stopped but I looked over anyway before shutting my eyes again and what do I see - my cuckoo silkie chick on its back in the water dish with its head in the water

I cant believe it

I jumped out of my bed faster than lightning and took him out and started rubbing his belly upside down hoping I could get the water out and get him breathing again but it was too late.. and litrally seconds too late. I knew this chick had bad footing from the very beginning but the water dish was litrally 1.5 cm filled with water

and for the past 2 days have been obsessing for him to start eating and drinking like his hatchmates and then he finally started and then this happened

Ive never had to deal with a tragedy like this since Ive gotten into hatching and raising at the beginning of this year, I WISH I WOKEN UP SOONER

Im sorry that I just come on here and dump my tragic story but I have no-one else to cry with since its 5am, and I cant go back to sleep from the sadness

I cant even bury the little guy either til the sun comes up so Im just sitting here thinking about all the ways I could of saved him
I can safely say that that water dish is outta here.. even though im broke right now Im gonna find some other way to supply them water no matter what i cant let this happen again

 

[chickenbottom]

im sorry for your loss its hard to lose them. you dont have to take the water dish out just put marbles or rocks in it so they cant drown again its painful and im sorry

 

[crtrlovr]

so sorry for your loss. Chickenbottom is right -- put (clean) rocks or marbles or those decorative glass things that go in the bottom of vases. The chicks can still get water from the spaces between, but can't get their heads deep into the water and drown. Again, I'm sorry you lost your baby.

 

[Dora'smom]

I'm so sorry you lost your little baby.

 

[S*T*A*R]

Aww I'm so sorry!! I have felt that kind of pain too.

When my chickens were five weeks old, my dog got into their "temporary" playpen, and she killed five of the six

I was so sad, and mad at my dog, but it all happens for a reason. Sometimes, we don't know what that reason is, but there always is one. A week after my chickens were ever so visciously murdered, i got 5 more chickens. And we were able to build a strong enough "pen" for them so that my dog can't get in anymore

And now, my chickens are about 20 weeks old, and one has even started laying!! So even though my other chickens died, I learned that it prepared me for if it were to ever happen to me again ( which, hopefully, it won't ) I'm so sorry about your little chick!! I hope you can get another one, and they will all live happy, and successful lives.

 

[BunnyMomma]

Hi, I am so very sorry.

I also lost a chick in a similar manner. The chick I lost was weak and sickly and just fell into the water bowl. I ended up losing 4 of my BR chicks to coccidia. The others just would not eat or drink, and became weaker each day. Don't blame yourself, it is just natures way of taking care of the weak babies. I have found that the stronger healthy chicks don't drown. It is usually because they are weak. I would also put some marbles or clean pebbles in the water tray just to make it a bit safer. Don't take it out totally though, they need water at all times. I am so sorry. Hatching and rearing chicks is risky buisness, but the payoff is rich with happiness and fun for the most part.
I'll be thinking about you!
Bunny

 

[Broodica]

I am so so so so sorry

I lost a three day old to who knows what. We just can't prevent everything from happening, dang it. The rocks are a great idea....

BIG

 

[Moorat]

Aww thanks everyone for the support

Im feeling a bit better now that its sucken in.. I think whats still upsetting me the most is that I literally woke up seconds too late ..but like you siad S*T*A*R everything happens for a reason Im a big believer in that, and also this chickie was quite weak compared to my other 3 white and gold silkies, in that his standing was never strong and its been 3 days since the hatch and he still didnt start eating and drinking til last night.. But who knows, it again saddens me that he died like this than from natural causes cause he DID start drinking and I made sure it was sugary water so he could get a bit of a perk up but I guess things just werent ment to be for him

Im sorry to hear you guys lost chicks too omg S*T*A*R I wouldnt know what to do if i turned up and saw that

But great that its a happy ending for you

I think Im gonna be alot happier when i start seeing my 3 silkies grow up and become the beautiful silkies I see on some peoples posts hehe
Im definately gonna do that, Im gonna set of and find some marbles from anywhere tomorrow, probably the pound shop should have them. I always knew about the marble thing but this water dish is so shallow I didnt think they would need them, and the 3 silkie chicks have already become quite sturdy walkers

but obviously after what happened Im gonna have them in there just for precaution always.

I agree BunnyMomma the pay off is sooooooooooo worth it when you watch them thrive and become closer to you hehe same thing when incubating the eggs, alot of eggs that come through the post never make it through to hatching but the ones that do make the whole experience worthwhile

I have a quick question though since im in worry mode about everything now, how does a chicken get coccidiosis? (if i spelled that right), cause Im feeding mine organic unmedicated chick crumbs and my other chickens grew fine eating this but just being curious

again thanks for being there everyone, this is why I love BYC hehe you guys understand

 

[S*T*A*R]

I fed mine Start&Grow by Purina until they were about 15 weeks and then i switched to Layina (also by Purina). They grew very rapidly

 

[Tartannik]

So sorry to hear about your wee chick!!