What am I doing wrong???

[Yocelinsaldana06]

I don’t hatch but I have been reading a little on breeding since I am getting a rooster soon so this sticks out to me: when you say you have been hatching from these pens for years now do you mean you have kept a closed flock? Or have you introduced new genetics from time to time?

Yes, I watch closely and make sure I don’t inbreed. for example, I bred my black silkie rooster with a white hen and once I got chicks from them, i added their daughters to the flock but removed the rooster and replaced him with a new one who isn’t related to any of them. I’m very strict on inbreeding and rarely ever do it

 

[Yocelinsaldana06]

Did you provide a heat source and shelter from wind when bringing them outside?
To us it might seem rather warm outside, but chicks as young as in your picture can lose body heat very quickly and would need somewhere to warm up when outside.

Another thought: When did you last deworm the parent birds?

I would not use newspaper as bedding for chicks. With the heat lamp there might develop some unhealthy fumes and when the papee gets wet they might even ingest it.

Check the feed for milling date. It could have been ok for your first batch but gone stale or rancid or moldy by now.

Where are all the brooders located?

What kind of bulbs did you buy for the multiple brooders?

I did provide a shelter for them when they were outside, and even though it was really warm outside, maybe it wasn’t as warm as they needed.
To be honest, I don’t deworm the parent birds, not with medicine anyway. I’ll usually do it naturally every once in a while but it has been a long time since.
As for the feed, this is a new bag that I just bought last week. I don’t keep leftover food for new chicks, I usually just feed it to the adult chickens. But I NEVER feed them moldy food, I made the mistake last week of accidentally leaving my old bag of feed outside and the rain got it and it grew mold so I stopped using it completely.
The brooders are located in an extra room in the house
I'm so worried, I don't know what could be wrong. I separated the sick babies. I read somewhere that maybe it could be a nutrient imbalance? The only sick ones right now are my 4 silkie chicks and a kikiriki. Maybe they’re not getting the nutrients they need since they’re bantams

 

[LaFleche]

, I don’t deworm the parent birds

It is important to deworm the parent stock at least 2-3 weeks prior to collecting hatching eggs as internal parasites will already leave the parent birds nutrient deficient so their eggs will not get the necessary amount of vitamins etc. for the healthy and strong development of the chicks.

I really hope that they will recover.



The chicks may still hatch but often are listless and weak and will die within two weeks of hatch.

accidentally leaving my old bag of feed outside and the rain got it and it grew mold so I stopped using it completely.

Did you still feed from this bag after the rain and only stopped when you started to notice the mold?

The brooders are located in an extra room in the house

How often per day do you open the windows to let fresh air in?
Daily air exchange (twice) is very important.

maybe it could be a nutrient imbalance?

Yes, that could be at the root of it, starting already in your parent stock.

only sick ones right now are my 4 silkie chicks and a kikiriki.

Some breeds as Silkies or Polish etc. are known to be prone to suffer from vitamin and electrolyte imbalances and will often need additional supplementation with vitamin B complex, vitamin E, selenium and D3 to help them along.
This is even more true with the bantam versions.