- Mar 15, 2010
- 9
- 2
- 7
Hi there, I hope somebody can help.
About three or four weeks ago, one of my hens snuck off into the garden and was sitting on 15 eggs. 14 hatched, and the day they hatched, we put chicks and mother in a hutch of their own, within the orchard that the other 8 hens + one rooster have as a run (about an eighth of an acre space). The hutch is made of sturdy chicken mesh and has a sheltered 'house' with straw inside for bedding.
The issue I have, is that once they got to about 2 weeks old, they started dropping like flies. The first five died within two days, then I lost one more a few days later, and four days later when I went out to feed them and change their water etc, I found one lying on it's side on the floor (dirt/grass), seemingly alert but off-balance.
Poor little thing tries to move around, but physically can't, it's as if the weight of his feet or wings or something is too much for his body to support, so he ends up pushing himself around in a circle and can't stand up. Another thing I noticed is that he was shivering, but when I picked him up it seemed to lessen somewhat - perhaps cold?
I was completely unsure of what to do, the only thing I thought logical was to separate him from the other chicks (after losing six chicks already, I wonder if it's some sort of viral/contagious thing?). I took him out, and put him in a cardboard box lined with newspaper and hay, and brought him inside with me. He seems to be sleeping peacefully now, and every now and again he stretches his legs and wings out and pushes himself around a bit, just can't get up.
(As a side note, we had one chick do the same thing in the last lot of eggs this hen hatched. I took him out for a day, then put him back in with the hen and chicks, and he came right in about 3 days. )
Anyone have any suggestions for what could be wrong/what I can do to avoid this in future?
About three or four weeks ago, one of my hens snuck off into the garden and was sitting on 15 eggs. 14 hatched, and the day they hatched, we put chicks and mother in a hutch of their own, within the orchard that the other 8 hens + one rooster have as a run (about an eighth of an acre space). The hutch is made of sturdy chicken mesh and has a sheltered 'house' with straw inside for bedding.
The issue I have, is that once they got to about 2 weeks old, they started dropping like flies. The first five died within two days, then I lost one more a few days later, and four days later when I went out to feed them and change their water etc, I found one lying on it's side on the floor (dirt/grass), seemingly alert but off-balance.
Poor little thing tries to move around, but physically can't, it's as if the weight of his feet or wings or something is too much for his body to support, so he ends up pushing himself around in a circle and can't stand up. Another thing I noticed is that he was shivering, but when I picked him up it seemed to lessen somewhat - perhaps cold?
I was completely unsure of what to do, the only thing I thought logical was to separate him from the other chicks (after losing six chicks already, I wonder if it's some sort of viral/contagious thing?). I took him out, and put him in a cardboard box lined with newspaper and hay, and brought him inside with me. He seems to be sleeping peacefully now, and every now and again he stretches his legs and wings out and pushes himself around a bit, just can't get up.
(As a side note, we had one chick do the same thing in the last lot of eggs this hen hatched. I took him out for a day, then put him back in with the hen and chicks, and he came right in about 3 days. )
Anyone have any suggestions for what could be wrong/what I can do to avoid this in future?
