Losing Chicks

[ChickenChick46]

Does losing babies get easier? I haven't lost one, but I know that I will soon.

I've been concerned about one of my most recent chicks since I got them home last Sunday. It's the smallest, it sleeps a lot, and it fusses a good deal.

It's also got odd wings, but I think I determined, with help from folks here, that that isn't likely a part of her issues.

I thought maybe it would be okay when it seemed to perk up on Monday and Tuesday. But yesterday wasn't a great day for it, and by last night, I felt pretty certain it wouldn't make it.

Well, this morning, I walked in the room and 3 ran out from under the brooder plate, but not her. I prepared for the worst and lifted the plate to see her kind of lying on her side. I thought she had passed, but when I touched her, she hopped up. I cleaned her off (not pasty butt, but droppings from being on her side for a while).

I mixed up more electrolytes and gave them to her, along with raw egg yolk. She took a little of each, and I offered them until she shook her beak. I set her back in the brooder, and she walked back under the plate.

I feel very certain she won't make it, so I'm not looking for any false hope. And I will say that I don't feel quite as sad as I thought I would (I definitely do, just not as much as I worried about). But I feel guilty.

Is there anything else I could have done differently?

 

[thecatumbrella]

Does she ever eat and drink on her own? Or only if you help her?

 

[ChickenChick46]

Does she ever eat and drink on her own? Or only if you help her?

Even through yesterday evening, she was eating and drinking on her own. This morning I did syringe feed the electrolytes, and I had to kind of touch her beak to the egg, but then she ate that on her own.

I also ran the crumbles through a food processor yesterday, just in case they were too big. I don't think that's a problem since everyone else is fine and i have seen her eating them, but I figured it couldn't hurt.

 

[ChickyCh00k]

I'm not sure it gets "easier", but I do think you just sort of relent to the fact that these things happen sometimes (in fact, pretty frequently - especially in shipped chicks - especially bantams), despite our best efforts. It's likely that little one could have had some sort of issue/weakness from hatch, and if it doesn't make it, it is NOT your fault. You have done all of the things. If she (I'm just going to say "she") isn't getting better then it's probably because there's something going on that you can't fix.

I'm sorry you're going through this - it really is never "easy" to watch as one of these sweet little puff balls isn't thriving (I had two last year that broke my heart). You do what you can and if it doesn't help, you hope they don't suffer long.

I'm still sending good juju your way that maybe something miraculous will happen. If it doesn't, try not to be too hard on yourself. There's only so much you can do (and it sounds like you've done it).

 

[thecatumbrella]

Even through yesterday evening, she was eating and drinking on her own. This morning I did syringe feed the electrolytes, and I had to kind of touch her beak to the egg, but then she ate that on her own.

I also ran the crumbles through a food processor yesterday, just in case they were too big. I don't think that's a problem since everyone else is fine and i have seen her eating them, but I figured it couldn't hurt.

I definitely get more food in their stomachs if I break it down (we have a Magic Bullet just for this purpose), so keep going with that.

You might have read about "failure to thrive". Basically, her internals aren't working as they should, whether that's digestive/neurological/etc. Once they hit the 2 week mark, they're generally considered in the clear until they start laying eggs (where they could have underlying reproductive issues). It's very possible this will be the fate of your chick. It sounds like you're doing everything right, so just give her time to sink or swim. Supplementing her with food and water is never a bad thing and can only help, though you have to be careful with giving too much electrolyte.

Hang in there.

 

[ChickenChick46]

I'm not sure it gets "easier", but I do think you just sort of relent to the fact that these things happen sometimes (in fact, pretty frequently - especially in shipped chicks - especially bantams), despite our best efforts. It's likely that little one could have had some sort of issue/weakness from hatch, and if it doesn't make it, it is NOT your fault. You have done all of the things. If she (I'm just going to say "she") isn't getting better then it's probably because there's something going on that you can't fix.

I'm sorry you're going through this - it really is never "easy" to watch as one of these sweet little puff balls isn't thriving (I had two last year that broke my heart). You do what you can and if it doesn't help, you hope they don't suffer long.

I'm still sending good juju your way that maybe something miraculous will happen. If it doesn't, try not to be too hard on yourself. There's only so much you can do (and it sounds like you've done it).

Thank you so much. It really seems like a failure to thrive situation. I don't feel like she's grown any at all, but her brooder mates have. And her activity level has never seemed normal to me.

You know how sometimes you just have "a feeling" about an outcome? I've had that the whole time with her. I think that's why I'm accepting it, because I've been expecting it. It is still hard, of course. I'm just grateful that she still seems happy. She wants to be with her brooder mates and they aren't pecking her or trampling her or anything like that.

I appreciate your kind words and support. And I do think understanding that if you're going to raise chickens, you have to accept the fact that losses occur, and quite often there was nothing that could be done. It might still hurt, but preparedness is a weapon we are smart to utilize.

 

[ChickenChick46]

I definitely get more food in their stomachs if I break it down (we have a Magic Bullet just for this purpose), so keep going with that.

You might have read about "failure to thrive". Basically, her internals aren't working as they should, whether that's digestive/neurological/etc. Once they hit the 2 week mark, they're generally considered in the clear until they start laying eggs (where they could have underlying reproductive issues). It's very possible this will be the fate of your chick. It sounds like you're doing everything right, so just give her time to sink or swim. Supplementing her with food and water is never a bad thing and can only help, though you have to be careful with giving too much electrolyte.

Hang in there.

Thank you. Yeah, failure to thrive is exactly what I think is happening. I was reading some old posts here yesterday evening, and I saw someone mention having a chick that would just lay down in their hand every time they picked it up, and it had the same signs as mine does. It ultimately passed.

This chick has always laid down when I pick it up. The others will stand up tall on my palm, but she lays on her belly. As cute as it is, I knew from the start that it wasn't a good sign.

 

[ChickyCh00k]

Thank you so much. It really seems like a failure to thrive situation. I don't feel like she's grown any at all, but her brooder mates have. And her activity level has never seemed normal to me.

You know how sometimes you just have "a feeling" about an outcome? I've had that the whole time with her. I think that's why I'm accepting it, because I've been expecting it. It is still hard, of course. I'm just grateful that she still seems happy. She wants to be with her brooder mates and they aren't pecking her or trampling her or anything like that.

I appreciate your kind words and support. And I do think understanding that if you're going to raise chickens, you have to accept the fact that losses occur, and quite often there was nothing that could be done. It might still hurt, but preparedness is a weapon we are smart to utilize.

Yes, yes, and yes.

You can totally tell when one is different from the rest in terms of activity and general vigor. I suppose this "feeling" you get does help soften the blow. Still sad, but perhaps a *little* less painful.

 

[thecatumbrella]

Thank you. Yeah, failure to thrive is exactly what I think is happening. I was reading some old posts here yesterday evening, and I saw someone mention having a chick that would just lay down in their hand every time they picked it up, and it had the same signs as mine does. It ultimately passed.

This chick has always laid down when I pick it up. The others will stand up tall on my palm, but she lays on her belly. As cute as it is, I knew from the start that it wasn't a good sign.

If she stops taking food and water, this is the article I have saved for myself if I ever need to cull. I was "fortunate" that my chick passed quickly, but if she hadn't, I would have put her out of her misery over letting her waste away slowly.

 

[ChickenChick46]

If she stops taking food and water, this is the article I have saved for myself if I ever need to cull. I was "fortunate" that my chick passed quickly, but if she hadn't, I would have put her out of her misery over letting her waste away slowly.

Thank you for sharing that. I hope it doesn't come that, but I, too would do that before letting her suffer. It's not pleasant, but it's a part of life when we've got livestock. I think people sometimes forget chickens are still livestock, and you run those risks when you've got them.