my babies are dying

[callie&co.]

I just got 5 chicks yesterday. 2 Ameraucana and 3 Barred rocks. 1 Am was dead when i got here and the other died soon after. My 3 Barred rocks are not doing well. they don't eat or drink that i see and i don't know what to do. they just kind of lay around like they don't have any strength. the brooder is at about 93 degrees and they are not huddling so i don't think temp is the problem. these are my first chicks and it kills me to see them so weak. any ideas about what i could do?

 

[tcp97b]

I'm new to this, so I may not help much, but are they from a hatchery? If so did you meet them at the post office or were they delivered to your house? Have you been dipping their beaks in water? Sorry I can't be more helpful.

Ty

 

[callie&co.]

they are from Ideal and the ladies at the post office called me as soon as they got there so i met them at 6am. I've been trying to dip their beaks but they just kinda turn away. i've never done this so i didn't really expect them to be in such bad shape. I really didn't expect them to live through the night but they did and truthfully they still look pretty much the same

 

[CheerfulHeart2]

Do they have poo stuck to their bottoms? If so, clean them up. Make sure they are getting water...have they learned to drink? That is all I know to try. I hope things turn around.

 

[birdlover]

I wish I could be of help, too. That is so sad - especially these being your first and all. Can you fill us in on where you got them, what you saw when you were there, were there other chicks with these, how were they being kept. SOMEthing's not right if they're all dying. In the meantime, put some sugar in the water and try to dip their beaks in the water and do it several times an hour. They may just be dehydrated. By the way, how old are these chicks because they can go without food and water the first two or three days.

Edited to add: I didn't see your second post when I wrote this. Only five were sent??!! They probably got chilled and their systems are shutting down. Once, I picked up an order of 25 (in Oct. in Virginia) and all but 6 were dead upon arrival and only two lived, the others dying within the first 24 hours. I'm pretty sure they got chilled enroute and that's what killed them. I hope yours make it!

 

[CheerfulHeart2]

You could try posting in chick raising section also.

Edited to Add: It looks like you are getting some help, so here is probably ok. Where are you in the country... is it super cold outside?

 

[Katy]

I don't know where you live, but they may have gotten too chilled with such a small number of chicks.

 

[callie&co.]

my 5 were shipped with 20 boys to keep them warm but it was really cold the night before they arrived (11 boys survived). If they did get too cold is there anything i can do?

 

[Katy]

Keeping them warm is probably about all you can do at this point. Chilled newly hatched chicks don't do well as a rule.

 

[callie&co.]

new symptom-- bloody poop