I'm so sad!

[Aunt Angus]

Silkies are oh so fragile, but answering the questions others have asked in other posts about your brooder set up will help prevent any new chickens from getting sick.

• What temp is your brooder?
• What are you feeding?
• What was their poop like?

You don't want to bring home more chicks if there is something going on that could hurt them. We are experienced chicken people. We want to help!

 

[allgr8dogs]

What temp is your brooder at?
Age of chicks?
Feed being used?
We need lots more info in order to try and help.

I bought a Rentacoop heating plate for chicks and placed it so they could move under it or away as they needed for their comfort. They seemed warm enough as they quit peeping after they went under it other than what I think very soft little happy chick noises. I bought the SavAchick electrolyte and SavAchick probiotic as recommended, and the Pratt's chick starter mash. They're in a wire kennel (30" by 20" and wrapped with 1/2" hardware cloth to prevent escapes) . I used Pacific Coast Pine shavings for bedding. I check their water 3 -4 times a day and change it every morning. The only difference I see between the chickies that died and the one who's still doing okay is that she likes to stand on top of the warmer plate most of the time.

 

[allgr8dogs]

Silkies are oh so fragile, but answering the questions others have asked in other posts about your brooder set up will help prevent any new chickens from getting sick.

• What temp is your brooder?
• What are you feeding?
• What was their poop like?

You don't want to bring home more chicks if there is something going on that could hurt them. We are experienced chicken people. We want to help!

Their pooped seemed normal - the usual white urate on one end, and they were all pooping several times a day.

 

[allgr8dogs]

The warmer is moved up and down . I put a thermometer under the warming plate and it was 92 degrees. The chicks had room to move 6 inches or so away from the warmer on 3 sides, as well as moving over by their food and water.

 

[21hens-incharge]

How old were they when they passed?
How long had you had them?
How old is the feed? There should be a date on the feed bag or label. That will be the date it was milled (made) not an expiration date. Feed should be used within 6 months of that date as nutrients degrade over time.

 

[docteurshepherd]

Well, I'm going to sterilize everything and get a couple more chicks because little Princess Gloriosa (named by my 5 year old granddaughter) seems lonely. I just hope and pray I don't kill anymore. Plus, I have 6 American Bresse chicks coming in a couple of weeks.

Again, I really wouldn't get more until you figure out what's caused these deaths. Look, blunt as this is, if you buy more and they die, then that is on you for deciding to get more when you knew there was an issue that could be passed to others. Figure this out first, and go from there.

 

[allgr8dogs]

How old were they when they passed?
How long had you had them?
How old is the feed? There should be a date on the feed bag or label. That will be the date it was milled (made) not an expiration date. Feed should be used within 6 months of that date as nutrients degrade over time.

I got them on the 6th, and I found the first chick dead in the morning on the 8th. The next chick was found dead on the 11th, and the third chick was found dead on the 15th.

 

[allgr8dogs]

I couldn't find a date on the chick starter mash but l'll call and check tomorrow. I was telling my friend about it I realized that I did have part of a box so the warmer would have two sides with no draft. She said that boxes that came from Amazon are often treated with insecticide to prevent transporting roaches from the warehouses. The chick I still have often spent quite a bit of time standing on top of the warmer. I wonder if that could be what happened to my little chicks... I cleaned out another kennel, put in the warmer, new pine shavings, fresh food and water...

 

[TheAlrightyGina]

They didn't have any poop sticking to their rear, did they? That's what I always lose chicks to...pasty butt...especially if I get them through the mail. Got to carefully inspect them often to make sure they don't have a blockage, as it drops them quickly.

 

[orrpeople]

They were all eating and drinking. Then one chick seemed weak, and so I made sure it could get to the food and water. It seemed to be doing better, but then in the morning it was dead. The two silky chicks seemed really lively, were eating and drinking, moving in and out from the warmer. Then I found one who seemed weak, so again I made sure the precious little chicky had water and and food. It seemed to perk up, was eating and drinking and then in the morning it was dead. The last little silky seemed fine, alert moving around a lot and this this morning I found the poor little thing dead. The last chicky is an Easter Egger and seems fine. He/she likes to be held (to my surprise), is eating and drinking but I dread tomorrow morning. Pratt's recommended Save a Chick Electrolytes and Probiotics so I've been putting that in their water. I've been changing their water every day. I wonder if I should change it 2 or 3 times a day...

Dehydration is the quickest cause of chick death at such a young age. Are you using the dosage on the "sav-a-chick" packages? (I ask because a lady I sold chicks to a few years back put the whole package in her quart waterer and had all but 2 of hers die within a couple days.)

Also:

What kind of shavings are you using?