New chicks, dying one by one :(

[Boo-Boo's Mama]

Perhaps feeding some plain yogurt might help.

Sorry I can't be of better help.

 

[lakeontariochicks]

I'm going through the same thing with my new chicks....

16 chicks arrived on Friday morning, I now have 12 left.
The remaining chicks look and act fine, are eating, drinking and pooping. But, the one that died yesterday afternoon I thought was fine too.
It's so unusually hot here this week, that I've turned the brooder light off today until I see that they may be getting chilled.
I put just a drop of apple cider vinegar in their water to see if that would help, but not any of them are interested in yogurt at this point.
I sure hope you- and me! don't lose any more chicks.

 

[write2caroline]

I had a similar problem I lost 6 of 26. I finally smeared yogurt on the brooder walls since that was the only way to get them to eat it! The yogurt helped a lot. Also adding Apple cidar vinagar to the water - 1 tsp to a quart. Sugar will give them diarhea if they get too much. I know it helps in the beginning but can cause problems later. Mine stopped dying when I gave them yogurt but it could also have been that the survivors were going to survive anyway. Not sure but try it. I used plain yogurt.
Caroline

 

[Arcane Araucana]

This may be totally off-base, but I read somewhere that some air fresheners can be lethal to birds and fish. While I had our brooder in the guest room, I stopped using any air fresheners in the house and just used scented candles. If you've got plug-ins or are using any air fresheners, I would remove them and cease and desist while you've got your babies in the house.

 

[Boo-Boo's Mama]

Mine would not try yogurt so I sprinkled their starter feed on top. They pecked at the feed and found the yogurt and discovered it was good stuff...no problems after that.

 

[twopeaedpod]

Well, ill chick died today *sigh
Not for any lack of trying, that's for sure. She died with a full crop, so it was most certainly a birth defect or other something that got her.
The others all seem very healthy and are all eating and lively. We're keeping a close eye on them, feeding them the "mush" (they love it and eat it willingly), and keeping our fingers crossed.
I know one thing...I'm never ordering chicks through the mail again!!! ugh. I'd rather drive hours to get them myself if it comes down to that.
Thanks for all the help and I hope this thread helps others needing chick advice.

 

[MyBlackHen]

Quote:
I am sorry to hear about your losses. I recently lost 2 out of 12 chicks that I received through the mail. I was just wondering where you ordered them from?
I hope the others thrive well.

 

[twopeaedpod]

My Pet Chicken
we lost 3 out of 9 so far.

 

[lakeontariochicks]

Aww, I'm sorry you lost another one.

3 out of 9 is not good.
I've decided too that I'm not ordering by mail anymore, that's why I so hoped this batch would be healthy so that I could have a couple of roos and just raise my own.
I have read that sometimes if the sickly ones make it, they will never be quite so strong....I don't know if it's true or not, but one of my BO's from my first batch, was really weak and lethargic at about a weeks old. She got better, and is healthy now, but definitely smaller than the other 5. I do wonder if she will have health problems, once they start laying.

 

[write2caroline]

Last year I had two orders from MPC and all was great and this year I had one order delivered waiting on the Aug order. I am wondering if the problem is some kind of sickness from the hatcheries they are subbing from? So many people ordered from MPC this year and had sick and dying chicks not to mention late deliveries in orders from chicks hatched on a Monday and not delivered until Thursday. I am thinking that that late delivery is not helping the survival rate of the delivered chicks.

Just thinking out loud.

Hope your chicks are doing well and starting to thrive.
Caroline