We lost all our chicks :(

[featheredroots]

LilMissChz, thank you, you're kind words and support mean more than you can imagine.

 

[horseshowmomnv]

Wow, I am sorry. I understand how hard we work to save a life, we hand feed them, talk to them, only to have an outcome we thought we could avoid. It nothing less than hearbreaking. You did everything you could, when you are ready to try again you will find joy!

 

[Lexi Smith]

Sorry to hear about your loss. Please dont let it discourage you as we all have our times with our babies. Just know that next time will be different.

 

[LilMissChz]

They were genuine and heart felt. I was crying as I was typing, so my words were exactly how I felt. And "getting back on the horse" was something my dad taught me. I only know how I would have felt to lose all mine. I would cry over losing one. So my heart truly does go out to you.

LilMissChz, thank you, you're kind words and support mean more than you can imagine.

 

[Relheok]

Hopefully your next batch goes better!

 

[dreamer5577]

I'm so sorry to hear that!

I'm heartbroken just reading about this! You did everything you could do! And that is what matters in the end!
My heart goes out to you. And I wish you luck with your future batch of chicks!

 

[spatulagirl]

I am so sorry for your loss. Most people don't understand how we feel about our chickens. When a neighbour complained about my new signs saying I would shoot dogs on my property to protect my chickens, she called the action silly, saying "They are just dumb chickens". Whatever!

 

[featheredroots]

Thank you all. I wish I could express how much all of this support means to me.

 

[chickee]

So Sorry for you!

How hard that must have been!!

Were you feeding medicated feed? The Amproleum in the medicated feed blocks Thiamine (vit B1) and can cause (especially if the parent birds are vitamin deficient) a Thiamine deficiency killing the chicks. I do not use the medicated feed anymore and instead use Purina Flockraiser for all my chickens. I also add a 7 grain (finely ground whole grain cereal with no corn or soy) cereal I get at the health food store and the chicks are super vigorous and healthy

If you suspect a Thiamine deficiency add ground kelp (I get it at the health food store) which is rich in Thiamine to the chicks feed. They love it!

GOOD LUCK with your next chicks!

 

[featheredroots]

Thank you Chickee. We were using a homemade organic recipe( containing kelp) that we had used for our batch last year, it worked fine for them, but they came from a breeder instead of the hatchery, like these babies did. Major mistake on my part, but last year we ended up with two of our three chicks being roosters, and I didn't think it was fair to separate the hen from her boys so I gave them all to a friend with a farm. I didn't want to have that happen again, so I ordered from MPC, so I could be guaranteed pullets, that plan didn't work too well either. I had read a thread that said the same thing about deficiencies in chicks passed on from the parents, and the man at the feed store was pretty certain that breeding was probably the problem. I still don't want to risk getting roosters again, and have fallen hoplessly in love with golden comets, so I'm going to try getting some new babies from the local feed store in a coulple of weeks....I hope we'll be successful this time.