Can chicks die of fright?

[azygous]

I did some research on the effects of loud noise on poultry, and came up with nothing more than noise can adversely affect egg laying, decreasing production. Nothing about effects on chicks.

Then I coaxed up some info on the effects of loud noise on the brain. Have you ever heard of the "Havana Syndrome"? Over the past several years US diplomats in Cuba were suffering brain damage and painful side effects from what they believe were some kind of sound weapon directed at them. No proof of any definite cause, though.

Loud noise does injure and destroy nerve fibers in the brain, causing damage. If sound is of the right wave length and intensity, it has the capability of causing injury to the brain. The sudden, intense percussion of kicking the metal tub may have produced a freak sound wave of just the right wave length to destroy the brains of those two chicks lying in its path. The other chick was out of range or it may have suffered the same fate.

If this is what happened, it was the freakiest of circumstances and even if you tried, you probably could not recreate it. Not that you'd want to.

The surviving chick should be fine. If it was going to get constipated, you'd see signs by now. Oil will not cause any harm if you give it some to be absolutely safe. I would suggest doing that.

 

[NaperLix]

That’s too hot,with little ventilation.need more open air.
yes any age chicken can die fright.Especially confined.
More open space for them would be better.NO food but medicated crumbles.
My hens come in every 4th July.
if they ate food other then crumbles,that’s what killed them.
must wait at least couple few months .

 

[Kiki]

They seem to only go to the warm end for short periods of time but when they sleep they tend to stretch out on the cooler side of the tank. The two babies that died were stretched out under the lamp when I startled them out of a sleep and they started squealing and spasming when I knocked into the tank

Do you have a thermometer in there? This sounds like it is too hot in the tank.
Is the top covered or open?

 

[lifein1840]

I had three absolutely gorgeous little silkie chicks that hatched out yesterday. It was an easy uncomplicated hatch and babies were up and running around within an hour of hatching.

My house is older and not well insulated so to better keep the heat in I set the chicks up in a 20 gallon long tank. I put one of those lightless ceramic heat lamps on one end of the tank, 150 watts, and the other side I left alone so they could go to that side and escape the heat if needed.
I have been feeding them manna pro medicated chick feed and also gave them a couple live meal worms. They have vitamin water in a very shallow container. It’s literally just a lid.
So chicks have been doing great all day. Eating and drinking and running around being chicks. I have thermometers set in either end of the tank. The Govee ones. One side of the tank said 90 degrees and one side said 80.

So I have been checking on them all day and also just enjoy watching them because they’re so cute! The last time I went up, two of the chicks were stretched out on the puppy pad, and they looked like they were dead. I rushed over to them and accidentally knocked into the tank a little and both the chicks jumped up squealing and then started spasming. I’m thinking now that they were just in a normal sleep and I might have frightened them to death when I rudely awoke them out of a deep sleep? They were on the end of the tank that stays at 90 degrees. Anyway they were dead within a minute or two of me bumping the tank.
If anyone knows what could have happened please let me know because I am so upset right now I cannot even google properly to try and find out what went wrong. These were PERFECT, and I mean PERFECT chicks that were beautiful and healthy an hour ago and now they’re dead. I moved an older chick in with the surviving one and right now it looks fine and healthy but I realize how that looks can be deceiving. Part of me wants to just give the chick away because I am so sick of getting so attached to these little guys and then being devastated by their loss.
They had no abdominal swelling, no signs of any illnesses at all. So the only thing I can think of is that they died from fright. Has anyone else had this happen? I have heard of older chickens dying of fright but never babies

were you keeping an eye on their bottoms? is it possible they had pasty butt?

 

[Mellowmalt]

some sound advice so far.

1. An aquarium is sealed on 5 sides. Very draft proof so the lid needs to stay completely open even if that lets heat escape.

2. Heat plates are safer than heat lamps because they do not dry the air excessively. 29% humidity is too low.

3. A new lamp should be used for 24 hours first to let it heat up and let any fumes evaporate first. In a sealed tank these fumes can build up more than most other brooders like a dog cage because it is so sealed up

4. Mealworms should be avoided in the first week.

5. chickens can die of fright but a bump on the tank would not cause this, it sounds like they were already either dehydrated or constipated.

6. Everyone makes mistakes raising chicks.

 

[Goosey Girl]

About 2 weeks ago had a night storm with gusts up to 30 mph winds. Even though my hens were completely safe and locked in to their night home, an unattached pen next to it was blown over and must have made a heck of a racket.

Next morning, left them out of their house and one of my leghorns was dead. Its heart must have exploded and it died of fright. Poor thing made it through its first molt, the worst of the cold winter, and had just started laying eggs again for the season. Poor little Pearl, RIP.

 

[canne50]

Lack of ventilation, excessive heat, dehydration are possibilities. It should have an exhaust fan if its an enclosed 80-90 degree tank. Should have a humidity guage and thermometer to monitor living conditions. I dont think fright is a possibility.

That’s exactly what lines I was thinking along.
With them stretched out it sounds as though they were prostrate because of the heat.
No need to feed first few days. Yolk is taken up in last steps before hatching. It’s to keep the chick fed for about three days so the other chickens a couple of days to hatch under mama. I would only provide water.
Sorry you lost these babies. It is heartbreaking…
Regards…

 

[gimmie birdies]

I hear you should not let dogs bark around hatching eggs, it can cause them to have a heart attack, so why couldn't a live chick have one too?

 

[Iowajones]

Also wanted to add, the chicks were moving around comfortably, they were not huddled up. Even when I found them laying stretched out they were quite a distance away from one another.

The two chicks I have in the tank now are moving around comfortably and are not huddled up. Usually I suspect temperature issues but that doesn’t seem to be the case here. As young as they are I don’t see what else it could be

I put mine in a clear tote, screen over top, fresh water no additives, chick starter and a heat pad below, 1907 house, heat lamp to one side. Nothing more nothing less till all the feathers come in. I've lost one chick in 5 years and she was weak when she arrived. Sometimes the chicks aren't strong from the git go. Could be the worms as others suggest, could be they were weak or a combination. Just KIS.