I'm so stupid. Pheasant chicks died because of MY mistake.

[ticks]

Yesterday I got a batch of Ringneck chicks, first of the year. So today I put in a big waterer, (Standard chick waterer, with the big fount.) I forgot to put marbles in, I was in a hurry, and wasn't thinking. when I came home today I saw maybe 15 out of 28, completley drenched, 3 dead already. I scooped them up, brought them to my room which was warm and put them close to the light. Out of the 11 that I scooped out, I managed to revive 7. 4 died. So, my mistake caused 7 chicks to die, and one died yesterday due to being trampled. It has been awful, I made such an obvious mistake. I think I have around 20, which was lucky. the regular ringnecks were the ones that died, I only have about 15 of those now, and all 5 of the Mels lived.

 

[RioLindoAz]

Why do you need to put marbles in the water? Is it so they cannot fall into the water dish?

Sorry about your chicks. I guess next time you can't forget to put those marbles (...?)

 

[redhen]

Darn Ticks, That stinks!

Its happend to me before with buttons also...

 

[ticks]

Yes, the marbles prevent them from falling in. It really does stink.
I wasn't thinking right. I was thinkign I was going to come out of this with about 5 or 6 chicks, but fortunatley I saved some to have 20. I hope these do well.

 

[Chicky Tocks]

ya know..yesterday when I was putting my baby, just hatched cuckoos in the brooder, I inadvertently filled the water dish and forgot to put in the marbles. It was about an hour later that I realized my mistake. I wondered to myself if they really could drown in that, or if that was hyper paranoia...then I watched as one wobbly little chick went to sleep standing up, and it just fell over on it's face...yep, in went the marbles.

I'm sorry for your loss

It's an easy thing to forget..especially if you've got older chicks that no longer use marbles in the water dish. Don't beat yourself up too bad. We live and learn.

 

[chickenzoo]

We all make mistakes, don't beat yourself up about it. It stinks, but you learned from it and are less likely to do it again. Just enjoy what you have left.

 

[ticks]

Thank you, it's just not very fun to walk in on peeping chicks and seeing them fighting for air, wet, and shaking.

 

[chickenzoo]

I know, it's sad. I've had chicks that I did everything I knew to do to keep from drowning themselves, but they still managed. I've had them drown in the shallow pheasant waterers. Some just have a death wish I think......

 

[ticks]

It makes me think, if a bird is stupid enoguh to drown itself, how on Earth did it succeed?

 

[hikerchick]

YOu are NOT stupid. YOu are human. I put my ducklings in water and then went off to do something else- I forgot. Came back - one freezing and paralyzed; one drowned. Guilt? Oh YEAH. The paralyzed one recovered. But I felt like a murderer. I am not. you are not. Stuff happens.