New Chicks

[kathnkyle]

Hi, I have 13 silkie chicks and this morning i woke up to find one dead it looked ok just looked like its neck and been broken maybe it had been trampled on by the others! But now it has me paranoid about the others so I just wanted to check I am doing all I can to make sure they are ok!! They are in a warm brooder in a upstairs bedroom with a light on it at all times on one side that they can all fit under to keep them warm but there is enough room for them to move away if they get too warm!! They are cleaned out regularly (they are so messy i have to clean them everyday) and always have plenty of clean water and food!!
Am I doing all I should be?? Sorry to sound stupid this is the first time i have had chicks and i have read up on it but since this morning i am worried i may be doing something wrong!!

 

[ravenfeathers]

i have no advice for you, but it seems to me from reading in this subforum that crushing and squashing seems to be more common with silkie chicks, even though i've also seen silkie enthusiasts deny it. they just seem to be a bit more fragile than other chicks.

on another topic, you might want to consider using peat moss as a bedding. i've been using it very successfully for the last two weeks. i clean once a week, more for my own aesthetics than necessity. it stays very dry and has virtually no chickie stink.

 

[soctippy]

I think your set-up is great, so maybe the chicks had a stampead to the feeder. Any way, due to sudden death by unknown causes in all breeds of chicks this is why it is always recomended to buy a few extra chicks, for just in case.