Chick Mortality
We don’t like to talk about it. We don’t like to think about it. And we certainly don’t want to discover it in our brooder in the morning. But chicks die. Some perfectly cute floofy little chicks just don’t make it, which is why hens reproduce themselves almost every day.
We hatch and brood a lot of chicks here, so as our hatch numbers go up (2200 this year, and counting), so do our death numbers. We keep really clean brooders and protect them against coccidiosis by feeding medicated chick starter, and even so, some chicks fail to thrive. They weren’t built just right apparently.
In addition, as we seek out hatching eggs, we check a farm’s reputation and try as best we can to only be hatching eggs from healthy established flocks. Apparently this spring, one of our suppliers was shipping us pullet eggs (eggs from gals prior to their first molt) which in my experience yield higher than average rates of Failure to Thrive chicks.
My Chick Died
Which is why, if you get a chick from us that does not thrive, I want to know about it. I want to know so that I can help you troubleshoot if your brooder was set up properly. Did the chicks get exposed to too much outside too soon?Are they warm enough? Can we do anything to improve the outcome for the other chicks?
And I want to know so that I can trouble-shoot on our end. A whole batch of sad little dead chicks were traced back to one specific hatching from one new supplier. Questions were asked. Pullet eggs were revealed. Business relationship was terminated. I can’t know if you don’t tell me.
I also want to know so that I can replace the chick if possible and if not, put a discount code on the website for you. Our chicks are not cheap and you deserve to be treated fairly.
Chick Guarantee
I can’t guarantee they won’t die, alas. But we can offer this: if you use the lizard bulb set up described in the Brooder Tips post — make sure it is hanging low enough — and if you use medicated chick starter and have an otherwise prudently set-up brooder, we will guarantee (replace or discount on future purchases) our chicks for two weeks from pick-up.
If your choose not to use the lizard bulb and chick starter, and you have a loss, please let me know anyway. I navigate these on a case-by-case basis.
But what about my children’s broken hearts?
This is the worst. Handing your kids little tubs full of fuzzy chicks and seeing their faces light up is the best, THE BEST, part of my day. And then one of the chicks die and your kids cry and that is the worst.
This won’t erase all the tears, but consider explaining that this chick was built for x number of days and living with your family where she was warm and loved and cared for made her x number of days good and that is all we were called to do for her. We wanted her to have more days, but she just needed her days to be good, and your family gave her that.
P.S. Those lizard bulbs are not cheap. If you are only using them this once, bring me the receipt and the bulb and I will reimburse you half of your purchase price. I really want you to use them.
P.S.II I often have loaner brooders available. Just ask.
