lost 3 chickens so far

[brosnt1]

Of 28 Chick We Have Lost 3. One Wouldnt Eat Or Drink And Couldnt Open his/Her Eyes. One Looked Like It Was Smothered. The Last one Looked Sick When We got Hom from Work And When We Went Out To Lock Them In It Was dead. Is This Normal?
Thank

 

[Eggcessive]

Unfortunately it is normal to lose a chick or two when they are shipped, especially in the heat of summer and the cold of extreme winter temperatures. Sometimes they are subjected to many conditions that stress them. Sometimes it takes up to a week for them to show stress and die. They have chick vitamins and electrolytes that you can buy from the hatchery or at feedstores to put in the water to help them with stress. When getting new chicks you should dip their beaks in water and then food first thing. Putting a thermometer on the floor of the brooder under the heatlamp helps not to overheat them. I like to watch them fairly close for the first day or two in case one is not drinking or eating, or being trampled.

 

[Eggcessive]

You didn't mention what age they are--I'm assuming they are just a few days old?

 

[brosnt1]

Thank you for the reply, the chickens are about 4 weeks old. I have 16 meat birds which I think are Cornish/ rock? and a variety of laying birds. The meat birds have grown very fast and are now twice the size as the layers. I've lost 2 meat birds and 1 layer

 

[Eggcessive]

Oh I see. Many people lose meat birds before their time to be processed comes. I've never had any, but my friend's son jut showed some at the county fair, and 1 died on the last day at the fair. We processed them the next day at 6 weeks of age. They are prone to coccidiosis, so I believe most people put them on medicated feed until just before slaughter. They also die of heart attacks and broken legs because they are not meant top live more than a few months.