Sudden chick death

[CozyDia]

Hey guys, I'm feeling a bit down. I recently got a trio of new chicks from Meyer's Hatchery, a Buff Orpington, Salmon Faverolle, and a Jersey Giant. I monitored them for hours and hours when I got them on Tuesday and spent almost the entire day with all of them on Wednesday, but all of a sudden the Buff Orpington died this Thursday morning. She looked fine before I went to bed yesterday. She was eating, drinking, and pooing normally. She was playing around with her friends. There was no sign of pasty butt, the poop look like normal chick poo, and they all had a heater plate for adequate warmth. The brooder is one of those pop-up playpens with the mesh top and walls so ventilation is adequate. The bedding was flakey pine shavings.

Did I do something wrong? The Buff Orpington perished underneath the heater plate.. The other two are doing fine, but I'm worried about what might have caused this might eventually reach those two...

 

[AmeraucanaHank]

Did you put sugar in their water?

 

[CozyDia]

Nope I used Save-a-chick electrolyte and vitamins

 

[3KillerBs]

Sometimes a chick hatches who just isn't right inside.

They are hatched with 3 days worth of food when they absorb the yolk and the ones who aren't right inside tend to die when that runs out.

If your others are fine then chances are that you didn't do anything wrong. I'm sorry, I lost one that way too in my first batch for this property.

 

[scotchmegs]

Just here to say I'm sorry for your loss, and it sounds like you're doing everything right, as others have said.

I also got a trio from Meyer's this week. They took two days to get to Pittsburgh, but when I picked them up yesterday they all seemed okay. One of them was a bit more sleepy, but they all ate and drank and chirped. When I checked on them this morning, the sleepy girl had died under the brooder plate overnight. It seemed like she just wasn't strong enough to survive the journey, but it's my first time with chicks and hard not to search for everything I could've done...and obsessively watch the other two.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Sometimes it just happens unfortunately.

 

[AmeraucanaHank]

Nope I used Save-a-chick electrolyte and vitamins

Some come with low blood sugar, it happened to me too.

 

[zenstarling]

I’m so sorry you had this experience. this happened to me with a little black australorp from Ideal on the second morning we had them. found her dead under the heat plate. no apparent issues. sometimes they just aren’t strong enough to make it or the shipping stress was too much. talk to Meyer and they will likely refund you. it’s absolutely ok to feel upset. I sure did, and that was a hard day. but the next day was a new one, and it got better, and I felt less overwhelmed as time went on and my other chicks thrived and I felt more confident with the whole process taking care of these little beings. know you didn’t “do” anything to cause this and it’s VERY common and happens all the time to so many chick parents. enjoy your other two chicks and know you got this! it will get easier, and maybe you’ll raise even more! good luck!

 

[DonHess]

Just here to say I'm sorry for your loss, and it sounds like you're doing everything right, as others have said.

I also got a trio from Meyer's this week. They took two days to get to Pittsburgh, but when I picked them up yesterday they all seemed okay. One of them was a bit more sleepy, but they all ate and drank and chirped. When I checked on them this morning, the sleepy girl had died under the brooder plate overnight. It seemed like she just wasn't strong enough to survive the journey, but it's my first time with chicks and hard not to search for everything I could've done...and obsessively watch the other two.

My six chicks hatched out at Meyer's on Monday, they arrived Tuesday, looking fine. Just a few hours ago, one little darling died.

All six were energetic clowns, running around, jumping on top of each other, seemingly having great fun. In these very few days they were clearly growing larger every day (no surprise there, they seemed to be eating baby chick feed all day long) except one. She was just as active at the others, but did not seem to be growing. Then, this morning she was lethargic, eyes half open, limp and just resting on their little "bed" that I made. It is evening now, and she is gone.