Lost two chicks, just plain didn't grow!

[Lady Marion]

I got my chicks last Friday, 25 Red Stars and 16 Golden Laced Wyandottes. Monday afternoon I noticed a smallish Wyandotte a little uncoordinated. She had no bad smelling poop or anything, just was sluggish. I brought her in the house and put her in a box with a heating pad on low, the temp stayed between 90 and 100. She would drink sugar water if i fed her with a dropper, but would not peck or eat on her own. It would pick her up for a while and she'd look almost normal, would like to snuggle up my sleeve, could walk around, albeit with not much purpose. Then she would crash, and I would bring her around again. I stayed up most of the night keeping her hydrated, then switched to yogurt in the morning. My son found another Wyandotte chick the next morning in the same condition. Almost as if she'd been crowded out of her feed. It was a cold night but the lights were on and nobody piled, as far as i knew. I brought her in as well, and we took turns feeding both all day. I was convinced we could pull them through. The second one to show symptoms died Tuesday night. The first one would rally a few times, then just started to really crash, and died yesterday evening.

All the other chicks are twice the size of the little ones that died, and doing fine. They all get medicated feed, i change their water frequently, they are comfortable. What could have gone wrong?

Judy

 

[TeamChaos]

My best guess is a condition called starve out or failure to thrive... maybe they caught on to eating and drinking just a little too late. It's terrible but it happens despite our best attempts. I'm sorry.

 

[llaaadyel]

Unfortuanately I think we all have to deal with a "failure to thrive" chick. I had 2 out of 26 that didn't make it. I think its just natures way of culling.