I think I have a serious problem....

[secuono]

All of my banty yellow chicks die! They can be 2 days old or 1.5 weeks old, fat, happy and growing, dead the next time I check on them!!
I have Jap mix banties and standard mix chicks, from day olds to 2+wks and all of them are doing great. It's only the chicks that are yellow mix banties. The last one I had just died, I had about 5 of them total. I believe my pair I call Dutch are the parents. I don't know color genetics, so idk if the Japs that are black, if their kids will show yellow or only black if the other parent is yellow.
I've split them up into sizes, 3 brooders. Plenty of space for everyone to move around and get heat or cool off, etc. They aren't piled on to death, I find them during the day when it's warm and all are running around being chicks.
What the heck is going on? Anyone else ever even heard of such an issue?
I guess the standard roo could mate with the tiny hen, though he might kill her in the process. I've always shooed him away and haven't seen him bother her in awhile.

Below is the pair I call Dutch, even though I really don't know what they are other than tiny and cute.
Dad.

Mom.

 

[janinepeters]

Could be a coincidence that it is just the yellow ones. Did you vaccinate them for Marek's disease and Newcastle disease?

 

[secuono]

Who vaccinates their own chicks on a small backyard farm? No, I don't. I don't see how it's a coincidence since it's all of the yellow banty chicks only and all of them die. Rest are totally fine, 45 other chicks hatched right with them.

 

[shellyga]

Quote:
Janinepeters was just offering some information.. I know you are frustrated,. Why don't you take one to be autopsied (spelled wrong probably) to find out what is going one.. the only other thing I could offer is that it is genetic... since only the yellow chicks seem to be affected
Shelly

 

[BrattishTaz]

If all of the other chicks are fine then I would be thinking genetic problems too. Now you need to determine if the problem is the hen, the rooster, or just that pair together.

 

[secuono]

Sorry, didn't mean to word that in a mean way. I just don't know any small backyard keepers who vaccinate.

I'm thinking genetic too, but I've stopped letting them go broody. Since if I let one go broody, they all hide eggs under her and then 4 other hens go broody a week later!

 

[secuono]

None of the chicks or other birds are showing any symptoms of either disease. Some may be slightly thin, but most aren't and just suddenly die.

Anyway, I went ahead and tossed all the eggs and got my last two broodies off the nest and back to being reg hens.

 

[goldeneggtees]

I had my chicks which were sent to me by mypetchicken vaccinated against Mareks for my small backyard flock, why take the chance and it's only $1.00 per chick.

Edited to add: One of my hens died suddenly and the necropsy results showed a tumor had burst on her liver, so that got me to thinking about all the diseases out there. If there is a vaccination available for one of them or more, why wouldn't you do it? I'd rather be proactive than reactive. Ya know?


Quote:

 

[Colored Egg Farmer]

I would say genetic also since its only one color. If it goes to the others then you have a disease problem. If you have the time and money you might want to get some blood tests in to make sure its nothign serious.

 

[secuono]

Quote:

Oh, still some confusion. I hatch my own chicks, don't buy shipped chicks. That's what I meant. Sorry.