1. Birth Defects Chicks have birth defects just like humans and some chicks are hatched with defects. They may have a crooked leg or a crossed beak or be very small or weak or have something wrong internally. The hatcheries try to remove these chicks when they hatch but not all birth defects are visible and some are missed in the sorting process. This is one reason why there are normally 2 extra chicks in a box. If you have one or two chicks that die in the first day or two or are just not right, do not worry too much about it. If the number is high there may be a hatchery problem and you should report to the agent and the supplier and get a vet to diagnose but a few deaths is not an issue. 2. Ascites or Waterbelly This problem usually appears around 4 - 5 weeks of age particularly in broilers. It’s very common in July and August. The chicken may start gasping for air and the skin turns blue and it dies with a lot of water in the abdomen. The cause of this is poor brooding. Not
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