# Baby chicks dying



## DCLyle (Dec 3, 2013)

I hatched 40 chicks last week and they are dying one by one. It started when one started gasping for air followed by 3 more. They lasted a day before they passed away. I don't know what is happening. This is my 3rd batch and I had no problems with the other 2 batches! Any help would be appreciated!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Have you done anything different with the brooder or brooder materials?

If that's all the same its possible there is a problem with the parents.


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## Maggizzle35 (Jul 2, 2012)

Have you tried treating them with an antibiotic? That's what I would do. Sometimes they have something from a parent and it can quickly pass from chick to chick, I would try tetracycline and see if helps.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

No antibiotics. The OP has not said anything that indicates that they are warranted. Any disease that is passed in to the embryo is fatal and nothing you do will stop the process. 

I am dead set against using antibiotics until its established they are warranted in some way. This is what is causing disease resistance when it comes time to use them.


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## DCLyle (Dec 3, 2013)

So far it is just the four that has passed on. There was nothing different except we hatched more this time. Also, there is another rooster added to the bunch this time. No antibiotics have been given to the chicks. wanted to see if we could wait it out, because all our chickens are free range and fed non GMO products.


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## Maggizzle35 (Jul 2, 2012)

Do you use medicated chick feed for the starter feed? Just curious.


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## Maggizzle35 (Jul 2, 2012)

How long have you been raising chickens? Just curious? We are in such different locations. It's interesting to see what people do in the warmer climates. 
We still have snow here and won't be able to let our crew free range for another month.


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## DCLyle (Dec 3, 2013)

We have been rasing chickens for almost 2 years and no we don't give them medicated food because we have not found any that are non GMO. Our chickens free range almost all year because we are in south Texas. We have over 300 days of growing season, so we are pretty lucky as far as weather goes.


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