Jess ChickCrazy
In the Brooder
Hey y'all! So, a week ago our chicks arrived from My Pet Chicken. We got 7 total. They were all fine, eating, running around, chirping, drinking etc. No pasty butt, no "warning signs" etc. Then yesterday -day 6, one of our gals would not get up. The hubby gently picked her up and she cried out loudly. I went upstairs to check on breakfast (food on the stove) and by the time I walked back down, she'd passed. It was so random!
So, then of course I freaked out. Ran to the pet store, bought a probiotic solution and made up some chick "gatorade", bought a medicated feed, different type of waterer-we'd been using a nipple waterer from the Chicken Fountain etc. Came home, gave them the "gatorade" in their regular fountain, added the gravity waterer (with marbles so they don't drown), mixed the medicated feed with the regular feed etc and then obsessively checked on them all day, all evening and all night. lol
The others seem to be fine. Acting fine, eatin fine, no pasty butt etc. BUT the one that died, Isabel, was just fine too, till she suddenly croaked. I am assuming it was a fluke. So, what do you do to get over the what ifs? What if the brooder lamp was too high? What if they weren't getting enough to drink? What if they weren't eating as well as you thought? What if she got smothered under the brooder lamp somehow? etc. I have Googled and drove myself bananas with the possibilities.
So, then of course I freaked out. Ran to the pet store, bought a probiotic solution and made up some chick "gatorade", bought a medicated feed, different type of waterer-we'd been using a nipple waterer from the Chicken Fountain etc. Came home, gave them the "gatorade" in their regular fountain, added the gravity waterer (with marbles so they don't drown), mixed the medicated feed with the regular feed etc and then obsessively checked on them all day, all evening and all night. lol
The others seem to be fine. Acting fine, eatin fine, no pasty butt etc. BUT the one that died, Isabel, was just fine too, till she suddenly croaked. I am assuming it was a fluke. So, what do you do to get over the what ifs? What if the brooder lamp was too high? What if they weren't getting enough to drink? What if they weren't eating as well as you thought? What if she got smothered under the brooder lamp somehow? etc. I have Googled and drove myself bananas with the possibilities.