Chick mortality rates - what do I do?

[EggSighted4Life]

Well goodness lol. Yes our dog is a part of our family. We tried integrating him with our indoor dogs and they won't have it. He BROKE the entire fencing off the frame with bolts every 6 inches. I'm not sure how else to bolt a fence?? BUT our dog isn't just going to be ditched. Thanks. He will be going to live with my mother in law, who can bring him inside and give him more time and energy and doesn't have prey animals. He is deaf and he has predator instincts. I have a two year old and a farm to take care of. Excuse me for not being made of three people and endless energy. This was meant to be about my chicks, not my pup, but I promise, I have his best interests at heart.

Wooh, I am glad to here that fur baby will be going with family. It is really difficult to deal with some animal behaviors. And it sounds like you are blessed with a good family and them with you! Thank you for not responding in an ugly manor. I certainly understand having priorities and more stuff to do than 3 of me could accomplish in my whole life time.

You should not be losing that many chicks. Your brooder set is likely the culprit and far too hot for them. If a small brooder you need little heat. A 60-75W incandescent bulb is more than sufficient for plastic totes. The idea is to only heat a part of the brooder, keep heat to one side so they have escape from it if too hot. With small brooders much attention to this detail is needed as heat lamps are far too much heat. If they are raised 2 ft in air to compensate then the entire brooder is same heat leaving no cooler area for birds to escape to. Listless chicks is symptom of too much heat.

I did also consider that a possibility. When I first got my 250w bulb and put it in the box and closed the lid a little (I was newer back then), I checked 10 minutes later and the chicks were freaked because it was 120 degrees in there! Then I realized that was as high as the thermometer went. I got luck that time. But you would probably notice them holding their wings out and panting. My first brooder didn't have enough space for a cool area and didn't realize I needed it. I think it hindered their feathering speed a little. I did end up going to 150w red bulb and then 100w regular as I was weaning them off heat.

Sounds like you have the best interest not only for the dog, but your whole family. That is not heartless or cold, that is Love!

Have a great day, and good luck to your family!

 

[AllynTal]

... You might want to consider switching to a heating pad brooder, and I highly recommend that you try fermented feed. The behavior you mention could be related to chicks being chilled, especially if you move them outside without ANY heat before 4 - 5 weeks old, perhaps the chicks are too warm. There could be something toxic in their environment, even air born. (It may be just enough to affect the weakest ones)

I agree. I don't know if that is the cause for the high death rate, but I believe more chicks are killed by well-intentioned people using the ****** brooder lamp than any other cause. I brooder mine outside with the heating pad. They're less stressed and can regulate their warmth needs.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I agree. I don't know if that is the cause for the high death rate, but I believe more chicks are killed by well-intentioned people using the ****** brooder lamp than any other cause. I brooder mine outside with the heating pad. They're less stressed and can regulate their warmth needs.

I am doing the mamma heating pad method with my next brood. It just makes so much sense. And if you read my post, you know I had a close call, isn't chicken considered done at 165 degrees?

 

[AllynTal]

I am doing the mamma heating pad method with my next brood. It just makes so much sense. And if you read my post, you know I had a close call, isn't chicken considered done at 165 degrees?

Do it. That's what I did with my last brood and I am never going back. I am never brooding chicks in the house ever again. I see now that brooding in the house with that god-awful lamp (or even outside with that god-awful lamp) is the most ridiculous way to brood chicks. I think that people do it because it's what the big poultry farms do and if the big farms do it, it must be the way to do it, yeah? So the accepted way to do it for the backyard chicken owner must be a scaled down version of what the big farms do. Forget that on our scale, it doesn't make sense and we can't create the kind of controlled environment for them in such a small space. For the small-flock owner, creating an environment more like the natural brooding experience a chick has with a mother hen makes more sense. The chicks have less stress because they can act like chickens and they have a natural day/night cycle. Because they're not under constant light 24/7, they don't overeat which means they don't have the health problems that chicks can have under brooder lamps. I could go on and on. Mamma Heating Pad for the win.

 

[junebuggena]

Thank you so much.

Since I have smaller numbers, I don't have a large brooder set up. I first tried large plastic bins with no lids inside our spare bedroom with heat lamps. The lamp covers those pretty well without much loss of heat from one end to the other. Temperature maintains in the mid/high 80's so they're definitely warm. We only moved two outside for flying reasons, and both thrived outside. On the first batch I had the plastic bins with 7 chicks, we lost four in that set up and I honestly considered suffocation on the first two because they all would pile atop one another to sleep. But then number three occurred. The cuckoos and mix runs I have had in a metal wash basin roughly 2 feet across with wire across the top and the heat lamp. Temperatures maintained about the same. We are not feeding medicated feed. I have gotten all but our first two from a breeder nearby who seems to have great stock, great hatch rates and their chicks thrive with them.

So basically, your brooder is an oven for chicks. Too small, and no way for them to get away from the heat and adequately cool themselves. Heat will kill them much easier than a slight chill will. If they are a bit too cool, they can always huddle together. But keep them in a brooder that is entirely heated, and they just can't cool down and self regulate. Small brooders and heat lamps are not a good combo. The brooder (regardless of the number of chicks you're raising) needs to have enough room for only one small warm zone, directly under the heat lamp. The rest of the brooder needs to be much cooler, at least 20 degrees cooler.
Also, they still need heat until they are mostly feathered. 2 week old chicks can fly up 3 feet, but they still aren't ready for outdoors yet.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Do it. That's what I did with my last brood and I am never going back. I am never brooding chicks in the house ever again. I see now that brooding in the house with that god-awful lamp (or even outside with that god-awful lamp) is the most ridiculous way to brood chicks. I think that people do it because it's what the big poultry farms do and if the big farms do it, it must be the way to do it, yeah? So the accepted way to do it for the backyard chicken owner must be a scaled down version of what the big farms do. Forget that on our scale, it doesn't make sense and we can't create the kind of controlled environment for them in such a small space. For the small-flock owner, creating an environment more like the natural brooding experience a chick has with a mother hen makes more sense. The chicks have less stress because they can act like chickens and they have a natural day/night cycle. Because they're not under constant light 24/7, they don't overeat which means they don't have the health problems that chicks can have under brooder lamps. I could go on and on. Mamma Heating Pad for the win.

It's also because that's what they tell us at the feed store without asking any question about your set up.

 

[AllynTal]

It's also because that's what they tell us at the feed store without asking any question about your set up.

That's what I mean; it's the accepted way to brood chick even though there is a better way. It's the 21st century. People need to rethink.

 

[jmartin0411]

Wooh, I am glad to here that fur baby will be going with family. It is really difficult to deal with some animal behaviors. And it sounds like you are blessed with a good family and them with you! Thank you for not responding in an ugly manor. I certainly understand having priorities and more stuff to do than 3 of me could accomplish in my whole life time.
I did also consider that a possibility. When I first got my 250w bulb and put it in the box and closed the lid a little (I was newer back then), I checked 10 minutes later and the chicks were freaked because it was 120 degrees in there! Then I realized that was as high as the thermometer went. I got luck that time. But you would probably notice them holding their wings out and panting. My first brooder didn't have enough space for a cool area and didn't realize I needed it. I think it hindered their feathering speed a little. I did end up going to 150w red bulb and then 100w regular as I was weaning them off heat.

Sounds like you have the best interest not only for the dog, but your whole family. That is not heartless or cold, that is Love!

Have a great day, and good luck to your family!

I completely understand the concern. Two of our dogs we have now are rescues and we have another at my grandmother's who was as well. They don't leave the family once they come home, but we try to put everyone's best interests into consideration. My son runs me all over the place and we have the chickens, a duck, a garden and a pig to boot. I wish he would get along with our inside dogs (which I'm trying again now since I'm working from home today).

I have only noticed panting once or twice and turned the lamp off when I did. I also try to move the brooder outside in the daytime if I'm here or someone is at the house so they can get fresh air and sunshine. We keep wire over the top so nothing can get to them and put them on our balcony when we do that, no dogs and generally no predatory birds (though at night the owls like to watch them through our windows at night). But heat could certainly be an issue and I had read about vitamin e deficiency causing the same symptoms as well.

 

[jmartin0411]

So basically, your brooder is an oven for chicks. Too small, and no way for them to get away from the heat and adequately cool themselves. Heat will kill them much easier than a slight chill will. If they are a bit too cool, they can always huddle together. But keep them in a brooder that is entirely heated, and they just can't cool down and self regulate. Small brooders and heat lamps are not a good combo. The brooder (regardless of the number of chicks you're raising) needs to have enough room for only one small warm zone, directly under the heat lamp. The rest of the brooder needs to be much cooler, at least 20 degrees cooler.
Also, they still need heat until they are mostly feathered. 2 week old chicks can fly up 3 feet, but they still aren't ready for outdoors yet.

See, our feed store feeds the idea that they need full time heat lamp and not a lot of room.

 

[junebuggena]

See, our feed store feeds the idea that they need full time heat lamp and not a lot of room.

Don't believe everything feed store employees tell you. They don't always know what they are talking about.