lost a chick today

[naturababe]

we got six chicks on tuesday, they all seemed fine, eating drinking. they've been on paper towels since they are only four days old but my five year old is obsessed with keeping the box clean so it is almost always spotless. then today one just seemed to stop doing anything and died about an hour ago. i was looking for bloody poop, maybe there was some?? i am terrified that the rest of the chicks will die too. i tried to disinfect their box as much as possible. i have no idea if our normal vet knows anything at all about chickens. should i assume the chick had cocci and treat the others in the morning if my vet has whatever it's called that i put in their water?

oh, i do think they got too hot today but i turned off the heat lamp for a while and the rest of the chicks are fine.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

Sp very sorry for your loss.

 

[naturababe]

thanks

since they are my first i am feeling like a very very bad mommy.

 

[crittersitter]

What are you disinfecting with? Many products can be toxic just from inhalation. sorry you lost a chickie

 

[Kittymomma]

Sorry.

Sometimes they just fail to thrive and die, not much you can do about that. You should check it's bottom along with the rest of them and make sure nobody has pasty butt. If you don't know about it pasty butt is when the feces sticks to the vent and blocks it preventing the chick from eleminating, when this happens the chick will die if it's not cleaned off.

I think cocci is unlikely if they are all still in the brooder, it's more usual for it to happen when they first go out onto the ground--not impossible, but unlikely.

 

[naturababe]

ok, thanks for the info. i will check all their butts (but i have been doing this obsessively already). will it be obvious if they have pasty butt or do i have to poke around the fluff to check?

 

[Kittymomma]

Quote:
You'll know it when you see it. If it's bad enough to cause problems it's very obvious.

 

[nanawendy]

Pasty butt are pretty obvious, just take a warm wet paper towel and wipe softly until it's loose, them you can pull off with your fingernails.
Some chick just don't make it no matter your "mommie-ness". I'm sorry