My chick died and I cant get over it :(

[VocpGamer]

So I bought 2 young chicks from a shop like 3 days ago they were green and pink then I made a box and put them in there and put food and water they started eating and drinking and running around then they kept like walking on food then water and making the water disgusting with food and making the food with water and then the other day nothing crazy they all pooped around and i had to get another box and i put them in it and put the food and water again then I was holding the green chick the first time to see if i can like pet her then she fell from like 2-3 meters and then she started crawling a bit then got back up again then i put her back in the box and I pet her to make her feel better then i grabbed the other one played with her then I grabbed the green one again and she fell from me again about this time 4 meters then she started crawling again then got back up then I put them in the box and they were healthy and walking good then the other day I found out the green is laying on the box not moving then i picked it up put it in a small private area and tried to see whats the problem then she kept moving her mouth and after like 1 hour she did weird sounds and then I ran fast to see whats happening and she was pushing her legs for no reason then died after the weird sounds ;_; And until now everytime I remember her I straight cry feeling like she has been with me for like 1 year and I cant get over it


Please how I get over it? I keep blaming my self and crying

I know its a big message but please help me

Also the other chick keep making loud annoying voice everytime

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Im sorry for your loss. It is likely internal trauma from the repeated falls that ultimately caused it's death. Your remaining chick is making those noises as it is alone and needs the company of other chicks, they are social animals. Obtaining a new companion would be good, but please avoid dyed chicks.
Moving forward remember to hold chicks carefully and maybe not above a few inches until you become more comfortable with how to do so in a way that prevents dropping/falls

 

[azygous]

What food did you feed your chicks? Did you give them some sand with it to help digest the food? If all you gave them was uncooked rice, that is too hard for chicks to digest. Even cooked rice will need sand for grit for their gizzards.

And what were you giving them to keep them warm? Chicks need to be kept around the same temperature as your body in order to live.

 

[featheredplanets]

My advice for getting over her death would be to educate yourself, to prevent more chick deaths. Sorry to sound so blunt. Your chick needs 2/3 more friends at least, and please keep away from dyed chicks. Do you have a proper brooder setup? Plans for any roosters you can’t keep? A coop and run ready for when they’re able to go outside? The right feed? Enough money to provide feed, equipment and Vetenairy care? It’s easy to get yourself head in over heals and that’s definitely what happened to me. BYC is thankfully full of information on every subject you could think of. My condolences.

 

[nightowl223]

My sincerest sympathy for your loss. The first death is always very sad, but I warn you, it will happen when you have chickens.

I know you feel responsible, but what's done is done, and feeling bad will not help the other chick. You need to find the lonely one another couple of little ones to be with, or it will continue to cry and be inconsolable. They HAVE to have companionship. There needs to be at least 3 or 4 total, at minimum.

But yes, PLEASE avoid brightly dyed chicks. They usually are not raised in a healthy environment, and the coloring can be tainted with toxins that can seep into their skin, too. They are sold as basically throwaway pets, which to most of us here is criminal behavior. But, now you know, you can do better. Avoid buying them, if at all possible, to get your little one more company. Thst kind of seller needs to not get any more support at all. If they are the only choice at this point, better get about 5 or 6, so you can at least have 2 or 3 survive.

And the first step is to set up a proper brooder. You can get a plastic tote, like Rubbermaid makes, about 2 ft wide, 2 ft tall, and 3 ft long. Get a heat source like a brooder heat lamp or the low, flat heat sources that chicks can get under like they get under mother hens. They're safer than brooder bulbs, with no fire risk, but harder to find and pricier. Get a 1 quart waterer and a small chick feeder. Get chick grit and 18% to 22% protein chick crumbles.

Watch the chicks for poop stuck to their bottoms, which is a sign they are too cold. Watch for panting and staying as far away from the light as possible, which is a sign they are too hot. Give them warm, not cold water. You ought to try to find and get chick electrolytes and vitamins mix to put in the water, too.

Don't kick yourself, don't blame yourself. You've learned an important lesson. It's your first step, but not your last. And, if you find you cannot do this, find the lone baby (or later, the babies) a good home with people that have chickens, and later on, when you're ready and have the right set up, you can try again. No one will blame you, since you will be doing what's best for the little one(s).

 

[ChickNanny13]

Sorry for your loss. You've been given really good advice about dyed chicks & caring for them. As it's been pointed out about picking them up, be very careful, they do squirm alot. I've found instead of grabbing/picking them up, scooping them is less stressful for them & you have better control. When you scoop them up (their feet dangle between your fingers & their body rest in your palm), use your other hand over them to prevent fall. We learn from our mistakes

 

[VocpGamer]

Thank you all for the replies <3 But I have some things to say so first off the only shop in my town that sells chicks got only dyed chicks and also I dont really have sand I live in a small town and my other chick is annoying every day and when I go to it it stops the sound and makes less sound and sometimes when I hold it it tries to like jump from 4 meters or 5 meters also I put her food and normal warm water and she kept walking on water then walking on food and making the food with water I tried to feed her she ate like only 4 pieces of the food then she starts eating the other food that dropped but everytime she eats them it drops and she keep trying again and sometimes it drops , I tried to pet her and play with her and she stops the sound when I do that also I put her sometimes in the sun outside and sometimes inside home in the kitchen both are warm places and i found out her wing is white idk what happened to her wing but please tell me if this means anything

Also chicks only be sold on Friday so I might buy more 2-3 chicks more if I need more than 3 please tell me

And if you guys know what should I put the chicks in? I usually put them in a like water box I take all the water out and put them in

 

[VocpGamer]

I'm feeding her the normal food its like small sticks I bought it from the shop where I bought the chick , They gave me the food with it

 

[VocpGamer]

Also I put the food and water in small plate that has 2 little sides

 

[azygous]

Do you live anywhere near water that has sand next to it? Chicks need grit to digest their food or they can die. They only need about a cup to last them a long time. After that, they might be able to find small 3mm pebbles on their own if you let them outdoors when they're grown. If they do not get these stones for their gizzards, they will die.

I'm guessing that these "sticks' you were given are feed pellets, and they are too large for baby chicks to eat. If you take a hammer and smash them to a powder, the chicks will be able to eat them better.

When you play with your chicks, get down on the ground with them and let them climb onto your lap. They like that a lot better than being grabbed and held, especially when they squirm and end up falling all the way to the hard floor.

Any sort of box will be fine right now, but in another couple weeks, they will fly out of it. You need to think ahead and come up with a permanent house for them, something that's safe from snakes and mongooses, and other scary things that eat chickens and their eggs.

Also, you need to put some rocks in the water dish so the chicks don't fall in and drown.