Just finished loosing 14 4 week old chicks

[goodbye]

Hached 36, kept 15, sold the rest.

Build an outdoor pen after the weather warmed up. Used to bring them in at night.

Checked them a 2:00 pm, 10 were dead by 4:00pm. A swarm of TINY flies came in and drew
so much blood it killed them. The remaining 5 were almost dead, used a heat lamp
to bring them back.

Kept the remaining 5 indoors for two more weeks, then outside with the rest of the flock.
Everything was fine for the first day. The second day I woke up with the rooster crowing.
Went out and found the remains of 4. One survived, the rest were un-recognizable.

Thats it for me.

 

[HenPen]

OMG...so sorry for your loss, 4 weeks is to early for them to join the rest of the flock.

 

[cozycrestmom]

OMG,,, What happened ? I am soo sorry to hear that....You poor thing.. That must have been so upsetting...
That is soo scarey, I would love to know what to look for so we do not fall to the same fate....

I hope you don't give up on raising chicks.. There must be a reasonable explaination and curable as well...
So sorry that you went through that...!

 

[goodbye]

They were not house flies (that I could tell), more like small gnats. You have to look
under the feathers, especially around the neck (where the bird can't defend itself).

The sound of the birds told me something was up. It was worse than "we are hungry",
much more frantic.

These are the same bugs they were chasing around, almost fighting each other over,
just the previous day.

 

[MissJenny]

Can you take a sample to your county extension service or to a vet or a zoo to get them identified -- you can't fight them lest you know what they are. I am so so so sorry for your devastating loss!

Jenny