Just lost my first chick.........

[luv2greys]

My little babies will be a week old tomorrow and there was one little girl I was concerned about yesterday. She just seemed lethargic and I didn't see her drinking much. I mixed up some sugar water and was droppering that into her beak a few times yesterday, and in the afternoon she rallied and I saw her eating. But last night she took a turn for the worse and when I changed the paper towels on top of the sand I have down in the brooder the others were "bowling her over" in their mad dash to get away from what I was doing. And she didn't seem to have the energy to right herself.I had to help her up. I knew she probably wouldn't make it through the night........ I just hope that I did everything OK and I wasn't the cause of her demise. On the plus side the other 25 seem healthy and very active, eating and drinking and even trying to dust bathe in the food that I spread over the floor.

Is it normal to lose a chick several days in? I guess I expected any losses to happen right after shipping. I have just started adding Braggs ACV to their water--started with a tsp to a gallon and will work up to a Tablespoon. I started out with sugar in their waterer and then switched to the Sav a Chick electrolyte. Do you think I should still be using that in their water or just stick with the ACV? I have learned so much from this forum and I know I will be asking many more questions

Susan in SW IL

 

[Angiebubs]

Susan-first I am so sorry you lost a chick!

I would watch and see if any others show signs of illness. If not, I would suspect there may have just been something wrong with this lil one.

What are you feeding them? (Just curious if medicated or non medicated)

 

[Megan Amber]

Everything sounds good to me. Sounds like you just had a weak chick. I lose some sometimes too. You did right with the sugar water and all. I usually don't put things in the water unless I feel I need to so I will let someone else answer that one!
Sorry about your chick and Good Luck with the others!

 

[luv2greys]

Thanks guys--I am keeping a very watchful eye on the others and suspect there was just something wrong with this one. I am feeding non medicated feed as I had them vaccinated for Mareks and Coccidiosis at the hatchery (hope that wasn't a bad decision) and was instructed that feeding medicated feed would nullifiy the vaccine. I wish I had come to the board and asked about the vaccines before I ordered the babies.

 

[Megan Amber]

I don't think it was a bad decision. Lot's of people get them vaccinated. I have never ordered from a hatchery so I have not. Non-medicated feed is good. I try to feed that regardless of vaccination and didn't know that it nullifiyed! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Angiebubs]

Luv2: There is no right or wrong answer with vacines and medicated food-its all personal chocie/expereince. I am thinking this was just a weak chick and possibly something internally wrong. Good luck!

 

[NotableNancy]

I think it's normal to lose a chick or 2 in the first week. I received 15 from Meyer Hatchery 4 weeks ago and all seemed fine when they arrived but in a few days 2 seemed "off". I gave both of them vitamins and poultry nutri drench by eye dropper. One survived and one didn't. I also had them vaccinated for Mareks but not cocci because they don't offer that vaccine. Sometimes they have something internally wrong and just don't survive as Angiebubs said.
Good luck with your chicks!!

 

[luv2greys]

Where would I get the vitamins and nutri drench? That might be a better idea if I have any others with a problem instead of the sugar water.

 

[Megan Amber]

Do you have Tractor Supply or other feed stores around? Most of them sell vitamins and usually Nutri-drench. It can also be bought off-line. Molasses water works well to. Saved our chick that had a heat stroke!

 

[luv2greys]

I haven't seen the Nutri Drench at Rural King, but I will certainly check at Tractor Supply. Thanks everyone for the help! Will check on vitamins too!