I've had 8 chicks die my first week...what am i doing wrong.

[jerry2009]

Im 19 years years old and i just got back from college ...Ive been waiting for summer to come along because i get to take a break from school and go back home and spend the summer raising chicks...i got my order from ideal last week....around 40 or so...partridge silkies...heavy pullets..cochins standards and bantam..and for the first time two ducks..ive raised chicks all my life and have placed countless orders over the year..however i have never had so many chicks die on the first week as i have had now and im freaking out...i feel like im doing what ive always done ..and have never had problems before..

one was blind and died..
4 runts died ... even when i gave them special attention..
one went missing....
a RIR pullet suddenly died...
silkie died...no apparent reason as well...

i Feel like a failure...what was suppose to be a break from school is turning into a nightmare...

 

[mcharles13]

Personally i'd change out everything and thoroughly clean the brooder, water supply, food supply, etc.

Also possibly bad bag of feed?

,mike

 

[Backyard Hencam]

It sounds like you are doing everything you've done before. Check out everything to see if something is different, and yes, clean everything in a bucket of water with 1/4 cup of bleach. Good luck!

 

[chicmom]

Hmm, the only different thing I've noticed is you're keeping two ducks.....I'm grasping at straws but could that be it? Do you have them all together? I'd clean everything thoroughly, like the others suggested, and separate the ducks from the chicks.

Sooooo, have you got it set at just the right temp? Not too hot, not too cold?

Are you using pine shavings for their bedding?

Clean water twice daily?

What kind of food? Could the food be a bad batch? (That's possible.)

These are things that are just running through my mind......hope it helps.

Maybe this batch just had a rough time in shipping too......

I would also provide them with some vitamins/electrolites in their drinking water.....that may help. I personally don't do this, but some people put antibiotics in new chick's water. I've only ever used duramayacin for a sick hen once.......

Good luck to you! Chin up!

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Providing enough...but not too much....heat??

 

[jerry2009]

Thanks for all the advice!!!

...i cleaned up everything...got new feed...separated the ducklings..cleaned the brooder.. yet i still had another silkie chick just die this morning..ive never ordered 50 chicks before..so im gussing the more chicks you get the higher your loses..my total loss has gone up to 9 so far...the temperature is fine..i dunno i guess this last order of chicks turned out to be a bunch of wimps..

...

 

[lorieMN]

I have had more die then usual this year also,,and I am not doing anything different then I have done for many years..I chalk it up to just a crappy year for chicks..I actually had 2 broodies,one hatched out 7 the other only 2 out of 15 eggs each..so I guess I am doing better incubating them myself,and these two hens have hatched many before..

 

[ThreeBoysChicks]

I don't think that it is the number of chicks. I have orderd and had shipped 80 chicks this year, and besides the 2 DOA all of the others have survived.

When you had your ducks with the chicks, was the bedding getting real wet? Chicks can not take getting wet and cold.

Other that that, i don't know what it could be. Do you have a lab where you can have one of the dead chicks tested?

 

[ranchhand]

Too crowded maybe?

 

[jerry2009]

the only suspision i have is that somehow...since ducks tend to get sick with to much water...i have been talking out the water fountain thing occasionally throught the day...maybe too much dry feed is some how getting the chicks sick or not allowing them to pass the food ...maybe its a digesting problem...i separated the ducks already so hopefully the death toll stops...