2 month olds smothering each other at night

[Maryallison]

Over the last 2 weeks 5 of my baby chicks have died from smooshing each other.

During the day they stay in a 12 x 12 fenced in area & I night I carry them into a 3 x 4 foot old rabbit huntch I had. It is seperated down the middle. I try and get 1/2 the chicks on each side.

I will notice a chick limping, but when I pick it up it seems to walk around decent. And then by the next day it has died. This morning I had 2 wobbling around when I let them out. Then by the afternoon just 1 seemed real wobbley. I made sure the chick got plenty to eat today and picked it up 1 time and made it walk around. Right before I had picked it just it was sitting with a leg behind it eatting the food off the ground.


So any thoughts on what I could perhaps do or what is going on?

 

[Judy]

I don't know.

You might want to answer the questions in the sticky at the beginning of this forum.

 

[Maryallison]

Thanks Dawn, I will go look

 

[Maryallison]

Ok...my husband and I are in agreement that they chicks are being smothered at night. What can I do to keep them from piling on top of each other at night????

They are killing each other.

 

[fshinggrl]

Sounds like they are not warm enough. They are piling on each other trying to keep warm.

 

[NellaBean]

If they are piling I would guess they are either cold or scared. Add a light or heat or better yet a roost for them to sit on. Can't smoosh each other that way. My youngest batch were roosting by 1 week old.

 

[Maryallison]

Thanks! I m in Florida in July so we know they aren't cold. A roost is a GREAT idea! WOW..............brilliant! Wish me luck...gonna try and do it myself tomorrow!

 

[Judy]

Quote:
If they are younger than 4 or 5 weeks, yes, they are cold. Your lows are in the low 70's and they are in a hutch, so I am guessing they are on a wire floor with air flow under it. They need a solid floor. They need to be kept around 90 or 95 for the first week, then 5 degrees less each week. This is a generality, there is some variation -- but when they pile on top of each other, they are telling you they are too cold.

Read here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/LC-first60days.html

 

[cmom]

I agree with the other posts. I have a baby roost in my brooder.

 

[Maryallison]

Awwwwwwwwwwwww, cmom I love your baby roost! I am drawing a pic of it to help me build one tomorrow!

My chicks are like 9 weeks old now and my floor is wire. I just never thought about it. Tomorrow I will be out there getting these things done for my chicks! I hope they are impressed with all my work! If it wasn't 10:30 at night I'd be doing it now!!!