My flock goes from one sickness to another. I really need some help.

[junebuggena]

You'll still need to do something about that wire bottom. Maybe your heat lamp was too high at first. Do you have a thermometer in there?

 

[dolfi]

The temperature here is 83 right now.

 

[dolfi]

I see the wire. Will bobble stack so it's smaller holes

 

[junebuggena]

But it's not safe for little chick feet. Cover it up with something.

 

[Paganrose]

I agree- chicks should not be on wire. chick like to scratch and dig- doing that on wire will cause injuries. they need a solid surface with some sort of bedding, along with an area that is out of the wind.

 

[mymilliefleur]

I agree with the others, that cage is much too drafty.I would cover at least 2 sides with plywood or plastic. You also need to do something about that wire bottom. Notice how they are standing on the wooded cross pieces and avoiding standing on the wire? Bare hardware cloth is very hard for them to walk on, especially if you are using the 1/2 X 1/2 stuff. I have a wire bottom in my brooder. I put down empty feed sacks, and than cover them with a thick layer of wood shavings. It is absorbent, and comfortable for them to walk on.

 

[dolfi]

The wire is 1/4×1/4. I had shavings on it but on another thread is was told that I could control coccidiosis by putting them on wire alone. They do look more health after a couple of days on the wire. My thing is that they are suffocating each other.
I did cover two sides and put only temporary the third side. I hope it works and I don't loose any tonight.

 

[dolfi]

By the way thank you so much for helping with advice.
Continue if any more ideas comes along

 

[junebuggena]

Even 1/4 inch wire isn't safe for chicks. A foot could easily get stuck. They are all piled up in the middle because it's too warm on the plank near the lamp, but it's way too cold on the other side. That middle bar is all that they have. With that wire bottom, you have basically forced all those chicks to stay within a linear foot or two. Give them a surface that they can easily walk around on, and I'm sure their behavior will change. Coccidia is a protozoa that lives in the soil. No contact with soil, no coccidia, not yet anyways. You need to fix their living situation ASAP. An open wire cage outdoors is not appropriate for young chicks.

 

[Woobsie]

The wire is 1/4×1/4. I had shavings on it but on another thread is was told that I could control coccidiosis by putting them on wire alone. They do look more health after a couple of days on the wire. My thing is that they are suffocating each other.

I did cover two sides and put only temporary the third side. I hope it works and I don't loose any tonight.

I would put down larger pieces of plywood for the floor and use feed bags or cardboard around the bottom 4 inches of the cage to keep the heat in. A thermometer in the cage below the lamp is a must. The temperature shouldn't be moving more than 5 degrees Celsius a day. Even temperature control is the single most important factor in the first 4 weeks. No drafts. You shouldn't even need to worry about ventilation at that size yet. If they are crowding it's because they are cold and lack a comfortable area to sleep/stand. Coccidiosis has classic warning signs that area hard to miss and usually respond to properly dosed Corid easily and within days.