replacing baby chick - will other chicks accept the new one?

[elaineinspain]

one of my four chicks died yesterday. The chicks are 6 days old today. I've had them since they were 3 days old. They are in a brooder with a brinsea ecoglow heater. I was wondering about calling the breeder to ask him if he has another from the same hatch (so same age) that I can replace the dead one with. If he does I would go this weekend to pick her up. My question is, would the others accept the new girl? By the weekend they will all be 9 days old, and the remaining chicks would've been without a fourth one for 4 days. Can anyone help me on this? I don't want to introduce another and have it killed by the others.... Thanks

 

[Pork Pie]

Pending expert advice, i would advise getting at least 2 in order to reduce the stress of being introduced as a lone chick.

CT

 

[aart]

Agrees 2 would be better.
The existing chicks may accept a newcomer of the same age or younger....or they may not.
But be prepared to separate them with a wire wall across your brooder and another heat source if things don't go well.
Getting 2 more would balance the numbers better and there would be a pair for company if separation is needed.

How big is your brooder?
Can you post a pic of it?
Do you know why the one died?

 

[elaineinspain]

Thank you

 

[elaineinspain]

Thank you both for your quick replies.
the brooder is a dog crate with plastic hardware cloth around it to stop cats, or the dog getting at the chicks, and placed on a table. It is 70cm wide and 120cm long. It is inside the house. I don't know why the other one died. She was a black australorp. She seemed fine in the first 24 hours after I brought them home, eating and drinking and running, but then she spent more and more time under the ecoglow, and became very weak. I checked them all for pasty butt - zero. When she was weak and not coming out from the ecoglow I held her and dipped her beak in the water to make her drink and she drank, but she didn't eat. The others are a brahma, a biblue and a sureña. They all seem fine and running around and eating, drinking and cheeping.

 

[aart]

Sometimes they just don't make it, not quite right inside somehow.

That should be pretty easy to split in half if needed, especially if you have the divider that often comes with those crates.
But you will need another heat source.

 

[elaineinspain]

yes, ok. I understand. I'll have to check now to see if the coop outside is big enough for 5 chickens. Thank you guys for all your help. Much appreciated!

 

[elaineinspain]

...and now another one has died! I found the poor thing dead under the ecoglow this morning. Could it be that they are not warm enough? should I put them in a box inside the cage where I have them already in case of drafts? (see my previous post for a photo of their brooder)
The room temperature is 19ºC so 66ºF

they have pine shavings on the floor

they have a choice of fermented chick starter and normal chick starter in bowls.

they have water which I change 3 times a day.

What am I doing wrong?

any help is much appreciated -

 

[dekel18042]

...and now another one has died! I found the poor thing dead under the ecoglow this morning. Could it be that they are not warm enough? should I put them in a box inside the cage where I have them already in case of drafts? (see my previous post for a photo of their brooder)
The room temperature is 19ºC so 66ºF

they have pine shavings on the floor

they have a choice of fermented chick starter and normal chick starter in bowls.

they have water which I change 3 times a day.

What am I doing wrong?

any help is much appreciated -

Since you're using an eco glow I would just tuck the new chicks under it at night. That's what I've done and in the morning the originals don't even seem to notice there are some newbies, but as aart said, I would add at least two, if possible.
Not sure what your problem is, but can you check the temperatures and don't know the effect but would prefer a solid sided brooder at least until the chicks grow. Not sure if they could get caught or get drafts in the one you have. It would be fine for later. Maybe you can get a large or giant tote. I know that is what people here often use for small numbers. I'm also not sure about fermented feed that early. Someone who uses it could probably tell you more, but I add that much later. Good luck.

 

[elaineinspain]

thank you Dekel. I have now put them into a large plastic storage box, inside the cage, so they have solid sides around them in case of drafts. I've put some chick starter on the floor under the ecoglow so they can eat that and stay warm at the same time. I've put paper towels over the pine shavings to help prevent them from eating those. They had free choice of fermented and normal chick starter. I did notice that they ate more of the normal chick starter, so I've removed the fermented feed. Let's hope the changes will help them flourish and that the new ones integrate with the originals happily. I'm phoning the breeder today to ask if he has chicks from the same hatch - that way they'll all be the same age/size.

Thank you again for the help.