Polish chicks just want to die

[kycowgirlchick]

I have ordered polish chicks from Cackle and hatched some from our own golden laced polish. They just dont seem to want to live. They will be fine one day and the next just laying down dead. We have read and talked to figure out our problem. We have changed food and added stuff to the water. But after all of the ones we have hatched I bet 90% have died over the 6 months of trying.
After they hatch we dip their beaks in room temperature water with just a little sugar. They are placed in the brooder with no bedding for the first week. Their food is placed on the floor of the brooder. After a couple of days their food is transitioned into a feeder. After a week they get pine shavings.
Any ideas on something else I need to be doing or not doing???

 

[chickenwhisperer123]

I have done a pretty good job killing polish chicks this year too, so dont feel bad!!

Its like they were running around one day, and the next they were sluggish, and didnt last long after that...

Jason

 

[Mrs. Glassman]

I don't have an answer for you, but I am so sorry. It's so frustrating when you are doing everything you can think of, and this still happens.

 

[ThePolishPrincess]

The mortality rate of Polish are very high from hatcheries. Don't feel bad, it happens to alot of people. I know it sounds harsh, but in your situation, the weaker ones are filtered out and the strong, which Polish have to be to do well, will survie and most likely thrive as adults, healthy and happy.

I don't know if it will help, but you could try putting blue dye (food coloring) in their water. Chickens see in color and will possibely be attracted to the stuff.

 

[becky3086]

Humm, I have had no problem with the Polish that actually hatched. I have only had one die and I knew it didn't look right to start with (it's body was too short and odd looking). I am trying to think what I do. I always have older chicks in the brooder so the temperature in there is not really high because there are a lot of chicks to snuggle with.
Also for the first couple days, with all my chicks, I open the brooder and dip their beaks of the new chicks in the water 4-5 times a day. Just to make sure they are getting some.
I put mine right in the brooder with the older ones and have pine shavings for bedding.
I use chick starter and when I run out I use laying mash, I have seen no difference with either one.
Becky

 

[Andora]

I think Polish (and Houdans too) are just not as hardy as other breeds...and sadly not as intelligent, lol. It must be so disheartening to have them all die for no reason. Out of the 3 Polish I ordered from Ideal this year, one chick died for absolutely no reason. Fine one day, dead as a door nail the next day. No warning, no illness, nothing. I later decided she died because she wasn't eating and drinking enough.

A great breeder near me used to breed Houdans and she told me that she gave up because all the chicks kept dying for no reason. I think her exact words were, "Honey do you know how hard it is to keep them things alive?" She has had great success with her line of Polish though--they are larger than hatchery Polish and very healthy and beautiful. (One of her pullets is in my avatar.)

Is it possible that you just have a weak line of Polish?

 

[sonew123]

hmmm. I have 7 week old very healthy ones I hatched out-They already free range outside and eat normal chick starter/grower. I havent heard of them being hard to raise just not good cold weather birds:-( Which will be tough for me because our winters get to 20 below at times-we are installing a heating unit in the coop for the winter hoping to keep the temps higher than freezing at all times and lots of fat big hens to snuggle with! Im sorry for your loss... Oh ..I did start them off on med food for the first 4 weeks? paper towels for the first week-pine shavings with DE spread into it and their food-Theyve been in an outside garage brooder since they were 2 weeks old...with 2 heating lights

 

[Sugar Sand Farm]

I lost a few that I hatched the same way. They would be OK when I fed in the morning and when I checked later they would be dead. This last time I separated all the polish that hatched. (12) So far 4 weeks they have all survived. I am wondering if since they are a slight bird that they get squished in with the bigger birds. JMO

 

[DANNY]

I agee that polish should be pretty hardy. I would try some amprolium for coccidiosis that is what was killing mine. I took them to the poultry lab and had them tested.

 

[hinkjc]

What about the temperature in the brooder? Could it be too hot or too cold? Any issues with pasty butt?