Lost one, how do I know the others are ok?

[RIgirl]

I lost a chick yesterday and am now totally paranoid that the others are not okay. How do I know what's "normal"?

With the sick one, I could totally tell that she was not as active as the others, but the remaining 4 act very similarly. The one thing that concerns me is that I often find them resting. Sure they get up and move around, eat, drink, poop etc. But I was at the feed store today, and mine are nowhere near as frantic as those chicks were.

I am obsessively shifting their warming lamp, I have twice changed their bedding (once completely, and once putting fresh paper towels over it) since yesterday (and they went into a new brooder setup the day before when I realized I had a sick one).

I wasn't supposed to care this much about chickens!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[debilorrah]

It is very normal to lose chicks. If they are piled up away from the light it may be too warm. And chicks love to play dead. I even had one once that I picked it up and everything and it jump limp as a wet noodle. I nudged it a few times and it flew up on it's feet hollering at me.

And chickens are addictive.