Sudden chick death

[ChickenNerd11]

Hi! I am new here and a new chicken owner. I got 6 chicks from a feed store (partridge rock, black star, and gold star) and on the 4th day a black star chick died. It was strange because the chick seemed fine (no pasty bottoms, no sulking, no weakness) the morning of the death except for a slight diarrhea. The chick was dead when I came home. It was on its belly with its neck stretched out. Today a gold star was lying under the waterer looking very dead (neck stretched out, chicks standing on it) but when we picked it up, it started struggling and peeping, so we let it down and it ran off to join the other chicks and hasn't looked bad since. I was wondering if you knew anything about this. Thanks!

 

[Judy]

If they are on the ground, I would get some Corid and put it in the water, in case it is cocci. Are they on medicated feed?

 

[ChickenNerd11]

Yes, they are on medicated feed.

 

[Judy]

It could still be cocci, if they are outdoors. There are any number of things that can cause sudden death in chicks. There is an article on this in a sticky in the Raising Baby Chicks forum; herre is a link to it. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/39604/some-causes-of-early-chick-mortality/0_20

You could tell us more about where they are living: temperature, bedding, feed, and someone might have another suggestion.

 

[ChickenNerd11]

They have softwood bedding and they eat medicated chick starter crumbles.