Orphan Chicks Are dying!!!

[Ashleynick]

Hi I'm new to this! I have a question about my chicks. The mother disappeared a few months ago and came back with three chicks. Understand that is happened mid fall and it was already getting close to freezing weather. Anyways earlier this week I went to check on them and the mother tried to fly out but fell straight to the ground. She continued to try and get off the ground but couldn't. I dismissed it and returned her to her chicks. Two days later I find her dead with her now orphan Chicks. Now that it is freezing almost every night I keep the chicks in my house. However I put them in a cage during the day to get sun when I'm off to work. But tonight when I came home I found one of them dead in the cage. The other two are find and earlier today they were all fine. They are eating normally. Drinking less than before but they are drinking some. They show no signs of sickness. I don't know what is wrong. I hate took lose the other two. Anyone get some advice or ideas?

 

[micstrachan]

How old are they and how cold is it there during the day? They might need supplemental heat. They could have some sort of parasites, which might be what killed their mother. How does their poop look? Can you look them over for lice or mites?

 

[Pyxis]

How old are the chicks? What's the temperature outside during the day, and the temperature in your house?

 

[micstrachan]

Also, what was the mother trying to fly out of? Do they have a secure coop?

 

[Ashleynick]

How old are the chicks? What's the temperature outside during the day, and the temperature in your house?

They are at least 3weeks old. The temp outside during the day usually stays in the mid 50s. My house it usually 65 to 70. They sleep at night in a pet carrier with hay and during the day they stay in scoop with hay and walls all around. The only wall that isn't solid it the wall with the door.

 

[Ashleynick]

How old are they and how cold is it there during the day? They might need supplemental heat. They could have some sort of parasites, which might be what killed their mother. How does their poop look? Can you look them over for lice or mites?

Yeah I thought parasites too but I have a whole flock that free range. They all seem healthy. My roosters were around the mother the days before she died. The chicks poop looks normal and they do it frequently. I'm not sure about mites. I have never had a problem with mites before. There feathers look full but they aren't as neat as some of the chicks I have had before. Kinda like the feathers on their wings grow at different lengths. I have seen this is some of my pullets when they were growing new feathers but never this Early in chicks

 

[Just Hatch duck]

maybe there was something in the cage like mice or rats thats making the chooks sick...