Sad. Two of our six baby chicks have died

[aggiemae]

We picked up our chicks on Saturday afternoon. It's not going so too well. Two of our six chicks have died. The Silver Lace within hours of bringing her home she was fine drinking eating pooping then just stopped moving around and died. The Black Sex Link died early this morning despite 40 hours of feeding her water with a dropper every 45 minutes because she pecked at the feed but refuses to drink right from the start. My husband, who is a physician in an trauma center, cried. I'm sad. My kids cried.

The other four are peppy and active.The temp in the brooder is 88 degrees, cooler than recommended but they are roaming all over and even hopping up on the little perches we set up. I nearly caused a riot when I gave then some shredded spinach for dinner. Apparently they all only want the piece that's already in another chick's beak.

 

[teach1rusl]

Be sure to offer grit free choice since you're giving them treats...that's how their bodies break down tougher foods.
And sorry that you've lost two...do check for pasty butt, because that can kill small chicks, when they get blocked up. Kind of like with a real baby, I always breath a sigh of relief when I see each chick poo...lol.
And as long as they're not piling under the lamp and peeping in a distressed way, the temp. is okay. Always go by how the chicks act, not by a therm. reading as to comfort level. Hoping the rest of your little ones make it just fine!!!

 

[AlicesSilkies]

Oh my, i am very sorry to hear this, i have 4 5day olds at the moment, and they are all looking fine, touch wood.

But i was told to put some small (halfsize) bricks in the brooder, because they retain heat, and they make great play toys for them.
Also if they look a little weak get warm water and dissolve half a spoon of sugar in, and gentley dip their beaktip in, this should revive them and give then energy.

Good Luck with the others.

 

[Nicole01]

I'm so sorry. They do come sick from the feed stores. I've seen them sick right as soon as they reach the feed store from the hatchery. The ride is stressful and the illness spreads like wildfire.

My maran is sick and infected the others. I give them poly vi sol without iron vitamins, probios and I have given antibiotics. This has saved them my last years batch even when one couldn't stand for 3 days. She/he has an upper respiratory infection sneezing and gunk coming out of nose with gurgling breathing.

I give the probios in wet mash(feed) the vitamins go in their beak or water depending the degree of sickness. If they are not sick I still give the vitamins and probiotics. Their feathers grow faster and they are all around healthier.

I don't keep my brooder a certain temp, but I do have the lamp 150 watt pretty low and it covered to keep the heat in for the first 2-4 weeks. They have a choice of the heated end or cooler end. You can tell if they are too cold, they peep in distress, hot they pant and sit with wings out. I use a wire dog kennel as their brooder.

 

[aggiemae]

I do check then twice a day and no pasty butt. but both chicks that died came from the same brroder at the feed store.

The other four are doing great. There is sand in the dust bed that we added this morning so I think there is plenty of grit in the brooder. But can anyone tewll me if they need grit to digest the few spinach and chard seedings I thined from our graden?

 

[Nicole01]

I personally don't feed treats or any other things other then feed until they are 2-3 months old. For treats I use feed, usually wet just so they are getting a good start in their nutrition and not losing protein. Although, they must have grit if they are eating other things like grass, weeds, ect... Therefor, grit is a must. Sand is just fine. I do introduce sand at 2-3 weeks of age, so they can take dirt baths. They usually love it and it's good for them to eat anyways.

I'm still sorry for your loss. I just brought 3 home from the pullet bin and I believe I have 2 roosters.. I need at least 2 more hens for eggs. We are often running out of eggs with the girls we have.

If your other ones are looking good, they will be fine. Someone once told me the first three days after bringing them home is when you lose the weak ones.

I'm not sure if you replaced your two lost ones, but there is a short time where the others will allow newcomers without problems. Up until they reach up to 4 weeks of age, it's easy to add to the flock with most chicks. I did this last year. I only have 3 that are the same age. All the others are at least a week-4 weeks apart. After they reach 4 weeks, they need to be integrated. at least that's what happened with my experience.

 

[mixitup]

Sorry to hear about the chicks. I'm not surprised though. Supply houses usually give you an extra bird because they know there is a high chance of death in 'shipped' birds. They are shipping many, many birds and disease and stress can take their toll on chicks. It sometimes happens.

 

[aggiemae]

If your other ones are looking good, they will be fine. Someone once told me the first three days after bringing them home is when you lose the weak ones.
I'm not sure if you replaced your two lost ones, but there is a short time where the others will allow newcomers without problems. Up until they reach up to 4 weeks of age, it's easy to add to the flock with most chicks. I did this last year. I only have 3 that are the same age. All the others are at least a week-4 weeks apart. After they reach 4 weeks, they need to be integrated. at least that's what happened with my experience.
.

Our 12 year old is still pretty upset abot the dead chicks. So I think we will wait and get two (or three if one of the remaining chicks is a rooster) ) next year.

BTW I didn't plan on feeding them anything but chick starter, the bits of spinach were a one time thing.

 

[caj1985]

Sorry about your chicks. Love your avatar!

 

[Ole rooster]

I guess some of us just have things go down hill sometimes. Out of 18 I hatched 3. One died, one I'll have to put down today, it's blind, and the first to hatch is just fine. Chicks formed in all the eggs but just didn't hatch. What a waste. I did get 6 sexlink from TSC yesterday for buddies so they. To me the really sad part is the one that's blind just can't get up. The chicks I got yesterday was going at that one and the hatchmate to it was getting between the new ones and the weak one. It really was protecting it. Really sad to watch.

pt