Chick problem

I've got this one chick from my shipment that got too hot and arrived with most of the chicks dead. This one started off very weak and I wasn't sure it was going to make it through the first day. It couldn't stand, and barely opened its eyes. I was able to give it sugar water. That was Thursday. Today is Saturday, and it's able to stand up and toddle a bit - an improvement over last night, when it mostly sat on its breast and did somersaults if it tried to move at all - and it can swallow, but I have to either dunk its beak in the water, or use a plastic pipet to squeeze a bit into the side of its beak. I've been mixing the sugar water with feed to get some of the mash mixed in and trying to feed that. It won't drink on its own today, which is odd, since yesterday, once I dunked its beak, it realized the water was there and would drink on its own. Today, it's mostly peeping like mad, and constantly making motions of wiping its beak on the floor like there's something nasty on it. I've tried sprinkling chick feed in front of it, but it's not trying to peck at the feed, it just ignores it. I don't know how much longer it can live on whatever yolk it absorbed (it hatched Wednesday, so today its 3 days old) plus the little bit of water it's getting, but strangely it is still improving in terms of coordination and alertness.

Anybody ever had a chick like this, and what happened?

Wow, I'm sorry. I haven't had this happen before, so I'm not sure what is wrong or what you could do. I don't know if this sounds silly, but did it suffer brain damage of some kind? Do you have any electrolytes you can put in the water?

I hope someone will be along soon that can help you better than I can.

Christy

Well, I am a first time chick person, so I can only tell my experience. My peepers were only drinking water at first. The chick starter seemed too big for them to eat, so I put the feed in a mortar and pestal and ground it fine, then added water so that it was like a watery soup. They enjoyed drinking it so I did that for several days until they finally started pecking at the feed.

I am new too, my first ones are 2 months old now.

I read that it is good to grind up a carrot and mash a boiled egg and put it in with their food. Mine LOVED it. If you don't have the carrot, then at least maybe try the egg.

I sure hope he gets better. Like you said,in order to survive he has to eat and drink.

Seems like they could take better care of them while shipping.

Hoping for the best,

Karen

I give mine sliced oranges and yogurt. Did you buy those chicks on line? cause they'll probably give you a refund or credit if you have that many dead.

My older chicks love watermelon, not sure about the babies.

Yes I forgot about the yogurt. That's supposed to be very good for them.

They are re-shipping my whole order and were very apologetic about the situation. Apparently it is a problem with the way the USPS is handling some of the shipments. So it comes down to individual drivers or those that load the vans/trucks that aren't placing the chicks boxes correctly so they do not get too hot and smother.

The chick is still standing, but I don't expect it will survive. I can get water into it (if I dip its beak for it) but nothing else.

sorry ;-(

I have a chick with transparent skin. And it Looks like its inflating. And its dying.

Oh seabob--that is sad:0( How old is it?

Three days.

They should mark these shipments of live animals and require they take EXTRA SPECIAL CARE OF THEM. Maybe have bright red or orange crates would do, or put a small flashing light on them, LED lights are cheap now, just something to call attention to this box.

I read about this when I was expecting my baby chicks. It all has to do with the cost of shipping.

I'm not one for more and more laws, but something really should be done in this case. The poultry companies want cheap shipping, and that is understandable, they sell more chickens that way, but it's really unfair to the chicks to be shipped like a regular box, with no consideration to it's contents.

The federal government tried to enact a law a few years ago to require poultry shippers to use Express mail. The poultry community fought it tooth and nail, so it was not passed. They are still allowed to ship Priority, instead of Express. Which means the box is handled like any other box. It's really ridiculous and cruel.

I hope I got the facts right, it's been a few months now since I studied it and dealt with the post office concerning my own chicks. Even the woman that works at the post office here was surprised they were not required to ship by Express, which would mean they would arrive overnight.

In the meantime the animals are suffering and many dying.

Mine arrived safely and I'm grateful for that. It's wonderful that we can order poultry and have them delivered to us. I'm all for that.

I know animals are not people but they have feelings too. They are not like plants or an inanimate object.

I'll side with animal rights activists on this one. I'm not a new age person who thinks animals take priority over people either, but why make them suffer for no reason, when a few adjustments could make things right?

I would also like to add, that they should have instructions on the box too, in case of emergency. Like give these animals water and keep them warm.

Karen

This world is nuts, I'm looking forward to the next one.

I for one and so happy I could order the chicks I did in the manner I did.. and I am so sorry for any animal suffering.. But I can guarantee any law like what your speaking would make any purchase of chicks in the manner we currently do obsolite and not afforable for most.

I am not sure "overnight" usps will work either as there is no overnight guarantee, read the fine print, express mail can take anywhere from 1-3 days.. and that depends how rural you are.
Around here priority mail beats express mail everytime.

Just one womens opinion.

When I got to the post office this morning a bit after 8 am, could have gotten them last night. They had a coat draped over the box to help keep them warm. I told the post office guy thanks for doing that and that i had another order coming next week. He said no problem, will have the coat ready for them to.

I don't think changing the laws would solve the problem either. Or adding special stickers or LED lights. I mean, you've got a box with all sorts of holes in it, a label that says "Special Handling" and the box is making peeping sounds. :-) I think ordering from the hatchery(ies) closest to you, if possible, will give pretty good results. My chicks arrived overnight, shipped Priority, so Express wouldn't be able to improve on that. Besides it still all comes down to the individuals handling the boxes. They can play football with them for all we know.

I got my replacement broilers this morning, and they sent me a baker's dozen (I originally ordered 12, 8 survived the first shipment, but they replaced all 12 plus 1! All the chicks arrived in fine condition. I looked to see if Mt. Healthy was in Garden Watchdog, and couldn't find it, so I added it just so I can give them a positive rating. Not just because they are replacing the chicks, but because the owner took time to call me personally. I think that's a mark of a good business.

that certainly IS a mark of good business.

Karen, i recall that, and it would have put many poultry enthusiasts out of business and left it to only the huge hatcheries like MMH who can produce them cheap enough to make higher shipping still affordable.

they are improving boxes. the boxes cost money too, all figured in the shipping.

ahppy about the coat!

my PO people are never thrilled about live things i get in the mail. they overlooked some trees i went to pick up on a Sat morning, insisted they weren't there when i knew they were, so they made it through and lived. when i picked up Pecky and RockETTE, they were in a very humane box, with a clear lid for checking on them.

i have sent eggs express with insurance and they have taken three days.

USPS does indeed have special handling of chicks even though they go priority. it is whether or not the individual postal person understands, i say CARES AND UNDERSTANDS. a simple thing like a coat to block a draft, or having them in the front seat of the truck instead o fpiled with other boxes... and the fact that chirping means they are cold... and calling the receiver right away...

now looks like seabob has a sick chick...ANYBODY?

TF you are probably right, it was a move to put the small farmer out of business, as usual. I apologize.

I don't apologize for wanting them to take care of the animals though.

The post office here had mine in the office by the heater. :) Wasn't that sweet? They knew they were coming.

Overall it looks like most arrive safely, but several people on DG have reported boxes with almost all dead chicks for one reason or the other. I'm not by any means the expert on poultry here, but it makes sense to me to order when the temperature is kind of moderate, not too hot, not too cold.

Karen

kreep in mind most of these chicks liley were not well to begin with. rarely does the PO actually kill them, though sometimes i want to say soemthing to my PO ladies...

TF I did take your advise and called my post office so they were on the look out, I wish I would have had the phone with me outside yesterday and I could have saved all of them. It does help if the people who handle them care. I'm sure since I was so close they didn't get handled to much. And what another poster (sorry) said it does help to order closer to where you live. Very glad the company replaced yours. I sent an email to Ideal letting them know just how pleased I was with 1 their promptness and the looks of the birds. Now I know I can spend that extra and get the birds I want, knowing they will come to me healthy.

OK, now sell the ones you odn't want first LOL...

lol, the ones I don't want. I don't know which that will be, since I can sex them, I wont sell the hens. I have a couple that i am kinda liking, they are quite the peepers and stand proud.

oh, youareally are funny then. gonna tell people they are buying roos?

well of course, usually what I tend to do is barter.

mmm, maybe you can get chicken feed, or hay, or fresh veggies.... or goats milk! i would trade you goats milk for one buff bantam cochin. my dog ate it...

ewwwwwwwwww I dont drink milk that has not been processed. And my grandkids wont either. Chicken feed now would be ok, I paid 12.95 for 25 lb bag today, still cheaper than that dang catfish food. So how far are you from Amarillo? towards Oklahoma. If I have some extra roo's I would be willing to meet ya maybe half way or something, just depends how far it is.

we don't go through AMA to get to OKC, go through Pampa and down to I-40. thinking the state line is halfway to OKC. shoot, if we were to drive that far, we would just come on to your place! still looking for that fool to care for the animals...

you may as well buy it by the 50 pounds, should be cheaper. with that many chicks, you will be getting up to 100 pounds per week before they go to regular food....

tf

Ok I will. I couldn't get the 50 lb to heavy for me. I'm a weakling. But I will from my feed store and then DH can unload it. I see lol. We can figure it out.

you can save the 25 pound bag to scoop it into...

I will have it in a trash can out in the barn. thats a hubby job for sure.

i meant, just in case you have to unload it and he isn't there, chicks won't have to go without, just scoop out 25 pounds OR LESS at a time... i speak from experience, they are never there when you think the chicks are gonna starve!

yea that is true.