10 day olds with 3 day olds

[3H Homestead]

I got chicks from a hatchery on 4/20, they hatched 4/18. Then I got 7 more chicks from same hatchery yesterday, they were born Wednesday. I had some newbie mistakes with the first bunch, they got too cold, and then pasty butt when I figured out the issue. Ended up losing 10 within the first 72 hours. I put the newer chicks in the brood box yesterday, so far, everyone's doing really well. Had one this morning that looked like it was beginning to get pasty butt, so I cleaned it up, and now it's doing great. Went to check on them a little while ago and one of my 11 day old chick was dead, without any signs of issue prior to death. When I cleaned brood box this morning, all older chicks were thriving, looking great, no one showing any signs of illness of injury. I have a heat plate as my heater. So, here are my questions:

1 - any remote idea what may have caused death in 11 day old chick?

2 - I'm concerned my heat plate may be getting too warm for older chicks, but if I turn it down, it may be too cold for younger chicks? Is there a possibility the older chicks could keep the younger chicks warm? Or should I keep heat plate at max heat and hope older chicks understand exploring brood box will keep them from getting too warm? I've never put different aged chicks in the same brood box before, but I really don't want them separated since they'll all end up in the same flock together.

 

[rosemarythyme]

1. Possibly accumulated stress from shipping conditions and improper heating/cooling, since you lost multiple birds at the start.

2. Heat plates should be ok left at a single temperature, I think? That's why you set it at an angle so chicks can get as much or as little heat as needed.

A few questions: How many chicks total do you have right now? What is the claimed capacity of the heat plate?

What is the ambient temperature in the general brooding area? If below 50F, does the brooder plate have any restrictions as far as recommended temperature range for operation?

 

[3H Homestead]

1. Possibly accumulated stress from shipping conditions and improper heating/cooling, since you lost multiple birds at the start.

2. Heat plates should be ok left at a single temperature, I think? That's why you set it at an angle so chicks can get as much or as little heat as needed.

A few questions: How many chicks total do you have right now? What is the claimed capacity of the heat plate?

What is the ambient temperature in the general brooding area? If below 50F, does the brooder plate have any restrictions as far as recommended temperature range for operation?

With the loss I had today, I'm now at 30 chicks. Heat plate has capacity of 35, but I did just notice that most of my older chicks are looking a little overheated - wet, sticky down. Unfortunately, the heat plate I have is not one of those fancy ones that allows you to angle it. It's a very basic one I got from TSC a couple years ago, thinking my grown chickens would need heat. Thankfully I never used it for that, but I has successfully raised a couple of broods of laying hen chicks, meat chicks, and turkeys. Surrounding area of brood box is 65, but when I put my hand in the box at the far end away from heat plate, it's quite toasty in there. I just raised the heat plate about an inch, but am currently keeping it on the warmer setting. If it continues to stay super warm in there, I may have to turn it down. The younger chicks are doing really well and do not seem to be struggling with keeping warm.

 

[rosemarythyme]

With the loss I had today, I'm now at 30 chicks. Heat plate has capacity of 35, but I did just notice that most of my older chicks are looking a little overheated - wet, sticky down. Unfortunately, the heat plate I have is not one of those fancy ones that allows you to angle it. It's a very basic one I got from TSC a couple years ago, thinking my grown chickens would need heat. Thankfully I never used it for that, but I has successfully raised a couple of broods of laying hen chicks, meat chicks, and turkeys. Surrounding area of brood box is 65, but when I put my hand in the box at the far end away from heat plate, it's quite toasty in there. I just raised the heat plate about an inch, but am currently keeping it on the warmer setting. If it continues to stay super warm in there, I may have to turn it down. The younger chicks are doing really well and do not seem to be struggling with keeping warm.

Do you have any alternative heat source (lamp, heating pad w/o shut off)? I've never used a plate but I know they overestimate how many birds will fit under (especially as they get older and larger), so 30 is probably pushing the capacity. Plus you face a higher risk of chicks crushing or stomping each other if they're forced to crowd under a limited space.

You can artificially angle the plate by propping up 2 legs on a paver or scrap of wood, so might be something to try.

If possible, I'd split the brooding space or split them into 2 brooders and give the younger birds the plate, and maybe a heat lamp for the older ones since it sounds like you have more of those. If the older ones were a couple weeks along then 65 would be just fine for them, but they're just on the cusp of still needing heat at those temperatures, especially if it fluctuates at night (not sure if you have them in or out).

Don't worry about separating them BTW, integration shouldn't be an issue - chicks are generally accommodating to newcomers. By the time they're all ready for the coop they can just be put out together at the same time, and the newness of it (plus the fact that they're chicks) should make for a seamless integration.