Urgent! Lost 5 out of 20 chicks and more are dying!!!

[Duckduckchicken32]

My Aunt has new chicks that arrived yesterday. She bought them form tractor supply and got them shipped. They have access to feed and water, the water has probiotics and electrolytes for the Sav a Chick brand. All of them had their beaks dipped in water. The temperature is good, they seem comfortable. They kind of flop down and die!! Is there anything we can do? Thank you!!

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

My Aunt has new chicks that arrived yesterday. She bought them form tractor supply and got them shipped. They have access to feed and water, the water has probiotics and electrolytes for the Sav a Chick brand. All of them had their beaks dipped in water. The temperature is good, they seem comfortable. They kind of flop down and die!! Is there anything we can do? Thank you!!

What kind of bulb are is she using ?
Can they get away from the heat ?
Where in the house are they located ? What kind of bedding is she using ?
Just need a few questions answered as it may help To figure things out
@Miss Lydia

 

[azygous]

They are likely victims of shipping stress aggravated by cold temps in transit. It's important to treat any chicks showing balance issues or lethargy immediately with warm sugar water and drops of Poultry Nutri-drench by syringing the solution into the right side of the beak, one drop at a time every 30-60 minutes until the chicks revive.

Shipping chicks this time of year is risky. I've even had chicks I got from the feed store go into preliminary shock after just driving them home twenty miles. The symptoms are unsteady on the feet and lying down and sleeping instead of wanting to explore and drink and scratch for food sprinkled on the floor of the brooder, which I do to encourage eating.

Affected chicks usually behave normally again within 24 hours after the sugar water and Nutri-drench, which is formulated to act faster than Sav-a-chick.

 

[Duckduckchicken32]

Some of their bums were messy, but they got cleaned up. Four of them are visibly smaller than the rest.

 

[Duckduckchicken32]

The lightbulb is a heating lamp, the red type. They have an large card board box with enough room to get away from the heat. They are in a large closet, and for bedding it’s just cardboard and some dried leaves.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

The lightbulb is a heating lamp, the red type. They have an large card board box with enough room to get away from the heat. They are in a large closet, and for bedding it’s just cardboard and some dried leaves.

Did you check the temperature under the heat lamp and on the other side of the box with a thermometer? Can you get a picture of your setup? The red bulb heat lamps are often too hot for indoor usage and even where the light is not shining on one side of the brooder in an already heated room that side can still get too hot.

 

[bhaugh]

The red heat lamp if it's what I'm thinking is 250w and too hot for them. Those would be appropriate more for outside or a very cold room. If it is the big bulb, you could try a 100w incandescent bulb close to the chicks which will provide warmth for them. Consider changing the box for a big plastic tub which will help to hold heat and not be such a fire hazard.

 

[3KillerBs]

I agree, check the temperatures.

Before I got my brooder plate, I used reptile bulbs in different wattages to maintain appropriate temperatures when brooding outdoors in the summer.