OKay--I am confused.....

[bonkers]

I purchased some Buckeyes from a hatchery over a year ago. I just hatched a few of the eggs this past week or so. I have two questions--the first one---I notice the chicks are putting on wing feathers BUT they are NOT the red color as the hens. All the chicks have a dark band with lighter colored feathers. Is this normal for a Buckeye chick? Do the feathers turn darker later on? Or do I have a bunch of chickens that are not full blooded Buckeyes? The second question is---all of the chicks look healthy and are running around, eating, drinking, and sleeping. But the last two mornings when I went out to check on them---I found dead ones. Like they just dropped over. What do I need to look for for the reason? They do not look like they have diarrhea and they do not act lethargic at all---just dead. Can they die from being contipated? Or perhaps they had a malformation of some sort? I have MannaPro chick starter in front of them and have them on pine shavings. I am beginning to wonder if they could be eating the pieces of the pine shavings---if I put them on newspaper it will be slick of footing for them won't it???

 

[dretd]

Hey, Welcome to chick-raising!

I really don't know anything about Buckeyes so I am sorry I cant be of much help there. you should post pictures for the experienced to help. I will tell you that chick's first feathers often do not look like the final adult coloration, so that description doesn't alarm me.

I think the most common reason I've seen for overnight chick mortality is them getting too cold. Were they under the heat lamp or were they somehow separated from the group? Maybe you can work out if they were cold by putting a temp gauge that has memory near the area where the chicks were. Other than low temperature and no signs of sickness I am at a loss.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Dont know about that breed but most have Teen feathers that grow in first an look nothing like the adults.

Random deaths happen but I would guess the got cold.

 

[PeasChisGuis]

They could get trampled/smothered by the other chicks from trying to stay warm if there is no light or not a strong enough light.
Sorry for your loss

 

[Drk_Wlf]

Pine shavings are fine; I always use them to raise my chicks on and never had a problem. As others have mentioned the chick death could be caused by being trampled or getting to cold. Are you monitoring the temp in the brooder?

 

[bonkers]

Yes, I have a heat lamp with a temperature and humidity meters. Temp is always betweeon 87 and 92. I have found all the dead birds under the heat lamp. I've raised chicks before but never hatched my own. I don't think anything is wrong with them physicially as they are a week old by now---so if it is an internal problem it is slow to develop. I've lost 5 now so far. I found one more over my lunch hour. It just makes me sick to not be able to figure it out. If they had diarherra I would think that they would be messy around the vent. THere are no pecked holes in them and they all seemed okay last night. No stand offish ones, no lethargic ones, all up moving and eating and drinking and chirping. Do you know what it costs to have a chick posted by a vet? Our vets are cattle and hog vets----little experience with chickens. I asked one vet about worming chickens and he just looked at me and laughed. Said that he hadn't had a question in over 30 years like that. Said no one raises chickens anymore. Soooooo I think I am on my own but I use the internet an awful lot. Puts me in contact with experienced people!!!

 

[Drk_Wlf]

The only other thing I know of is something like mice getting in at night and killing them but if they don't have any bite marks it wouldn't be that either. I can't think of anything else that would just cause them to drop dead like that unless they had heart defects or something.

I hope you figure it out, be sure to keep us posted.