Newly hatched chicks all dying!

[kalaharichook]

Thank you for your suggestions guys,I've kept chooks for over two years,I currently have 12 but this is only the second time I've let them have chicks. I spent all day with the remaining two chicks,trying to keep the wobbly one alive. I've taken out the warm bottle as the bulb seems to be ok for them. I have put a little plastic ice cream carton with a door cut in so the can be undercover. The healthiest of the two is pecking at the mash and is generally quite active.the wobbly one,which was lying on its side this afternoon is managing to stay more upright

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Thank you for your suggestions guys,I've kept chooks for over two years,I currently have 12 but this is only the second time I've let them have chicks. I spent all day with the remaining two chicks,trying to keep the wobbly one alive. I've taken out the warm bottle as the bulb seems to be ok for them. I have put a little plastic ice cream carton with a door cut in so the can be undercover. The healthiest of the two is pecking at the mash and is generally quite active.the wobbly one,which was lying on its side this afternoon is managing to stay more upright

You may need to be dropping your water on the beak of the wobbly one. Chicks can be hardy, but they require a place that is 95F degrees warm or they will die. Usually a hen is sufficient but she may just not have enough experience. Sorry I don't know the conversion between F and C. I would drop water on the beak every 20 minutes or so until I saw improvement. Electrolytes probably wouldn't hurt. Honestly I would use vitamins, as with every shipped chick I had that was on it's way out responded instantly to the vitamins. The ones who passed all did so gasping for air like you describe. When I held them to my ear I could hear little crackles of fluid in their lungs as they breathed.

If you have a heating pad, those also work. But I would keep your warm bottle available for them all the time and make sure they know how to find it.

So keep them warm and push fluids would be my best suggestions. I know keeping it simple is best and you don't just wanna create more problems. Do your best.

We are 60 degrees in my house and my chicks are 4 weeks and still have a 150 watt bulb on 14 of them. They can move away from it if they are too warm. When they are a much larger group they can tolerate cooler temps because all the body heat adds up. But with only 2, they really need a warm place until they have most of their feathers. Usually 6 to 8 weeks.

So you actually have them separated from the hen now?

 

[chickens really]

No one needs to be harsh with you...We all make mistakes...Believe me, everyone answering has made mistakes!

Yes, keeping them warm and fed a proper diet with plenty of water should save your Chicks...

Good luck!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Also, a 40 watt bulb would need to be very close to them and you could use foil to direct the heat into the box, shiny side above the bulb but facing the chicks. I don't usually try 40 watts until close to 6 weeks.

This is a learning experience. As you pay attention to the chicks, loud peeps mean cold. Open beaks and fast breathing means too warm. At this point warmth will probably help them get strength. Just think on cold days you wanna stay tucked in don't really move around until it's warm enough. Same ideal. Only instead they die.

Warmth should be good enough to get a good start as the chicks themselves if only 2 days old should still be getting some nutrients from the yolk in their bellies.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Just use your finger while holding the chick and let a drip go onto the beak. As the chick feels it, should start to do little gobble reactions. After it does a couple gobbles, repeat however often you think is appropriate. I don't know why I go with 20 minutes, that may be a little too often because of course they need rest as well. So we all just do out best.

Crazy that nature hatches chicks all the time without our interference.

And we try so hard.

I also know it can be emotional trying to save them. Just remember you are doing your best as well!

I don't know if it's true or not but right now I feel like WARMTH might be the key. Sorry for repeating myself!

 

[kalaharichook]

Hi guys,

Thanks again,I'll try the tin foil idea today,but good news! The little wobbly one made it through the night! Last night was around 17deg Celsius,our cold weather us definitely leaving. I got up at 1:30am to check and he was still going,managing to stay on his feet. And this morning,other than an occasional drunken wobble,he is doing ok. Both chicks are drinking by themselves and pecking at the food they are now a whole four days old...Fingers crossed they keep going well!

 

[kalaharichook]

You may need to be dropping your water on the beak of the wobbly one. Chicks can be hardy, but they require a place that is 95F degrees warm or they will die. Usually a hen is sufficient but she may just not have enough experience. Sorry I don't know the conversion between F and C. I would drop water on the beak every 20 minutes or so until I saw improvement. Electrolytes probably wouldn't hurt. Honestly I would use vitamins, as with every shipped chick I had that was on it's way out responded instantly to the vitamins. The ones who passed all did so gasping for air like you describe. When I held them to my ear I could hear little crackles of fluid in their lungs as they breathed.

If you have a heating pad, those also work. But I would keep your warm bottle available for them all the time and make sure they know how to find it.

So keep them warm and push fluids would be my best suggestions. I know keeping it simple is best and you don't just wanna create more problems. Do your best.

We are 60 degrees in my house and my chicks are 4 weeks and still have a 150 watt bulb on 14 of them. They can move away from it if they are too warm. When they are a much larger group they can tolerate cooler temps because all the body heat adds up. But with only 2, they really need a warm place until they have most of their feathers. Usually 6 to 8 weeks.

So you actually have them separated from the hen now?

Yes,they have been separated from the hen since I found them on the second morning all lying around,looking quite dead. I had thought about putting them back with mum but didn't want to risk the same thing happening again.

 

[kalaharichook]

Further to everything else,the wobbly chick has gone down hill again,after surviving the night,whilst giving him so water I noticed a tick,and on further inspection I found several ticks,on both chicks. I removed all that I could se and dusted them with anti tick powder,and I cleaned the enclosure and dusted it too and there were one or two crawling on the floor. Wondering if this could be causing the problem although I read it takes a week for a tick carrying something like tick paralysis,to actually show symptoms on the host.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Further to everything else,the wobbly chick has gone down hill again,after surviving the night,whilst giving him so water I noticed a tick,and on further inspection I found several ticks,on both chicks. I removed all that I could se and dusted them with anti tick powder,and I cleaned the enclosure and dusted it too and there were one or two crawling on the floor. Wondering if this could be causing the problem although I read it takes a week for a tick carrying something like tick paralysis,to actually show symptoms on the host.

Well, the blood sucking is definitely not going to help. It decreases to volume of blood which I'm sure could cause a whole host of problems. And if there were a few, it may add up fast. Good job catching them. Also, symptoms not showing for a specified amount of time is probably on a healthy host. Someone who is already struggling will decline much faster. Also it could be relative to size say a hippo verses a chick.

It's awesome that your wobbly one was doing better. When I had 1 doing better, I let my guard down and it died. So it's good to still keep a close eye and make sure he can get back up if he get's knocked over.

Sounds like you're at least going in the right direction, to the best of your ability!

Your little one is nick named Wobbles here at my house!

Come on Wobbles!

 

[kalaharichook]

Aw cheers eggsighted! I really hope I got the ticks off on time,trying to see if there is some way I can get more protein in them,wobbles is barely taking water,just one or two when I manage to get them in!