5 day old chicks sleeping away from heat plate

[MountHelen]

My chicks are 5 days old today. Yesterday, I noticed a couple sleeping away from the heat plate but would eventually go in and out. Today when checking in on them on the camera I noticed they started sleeping on the opposite side of the brooder away from the heat plate in a big pile on top of each other. Is this normal? Will they get chilled and die? Will the move back under the heat if they get cold?

They have a heat plate instead of a heat lamp. The plate is slanted for chicks to choose how warm they want to be. At the height so their back can touch when standing. Other than this odd thing, they seem rather normal. Eating, drinking, lively. Normal poops. Clean butts (except 1). Very quiet, makes literally no noise unless I come and talk to them and they’ll cheep at me. I’m just afraid I’m doing something wrong!

I also have 1 chick out of 7 that has had pasty butt every day for 5 straight days. All of them had electrolytes and vitamins in their water for the first 5 days, on purina medicated chick starter. No treats, pine bedding. Is her pasty butt ever going to go away?- should I be worried about losing her?

Sorry for so many questions!

 

[50-45-1]

They are too hot!
What kind of enclosure,
How much ventilation?
How warm is the room they are in?

 

[50-45-1]

Not uncommon to have one or two with pasty butt. It should clear up soon. Sounds like your feed and water situation is good.

 

[50-45-1]

Another question I would ask is about light.
Can the see where the heat plate is? Or is the room too dark.

 

[MountHelen]

Another question I would ask is about light.
Can the see where the heat plate is? Or is the room too dark.

The room itself is around 70 degrees. They are in a large cardboard box- open top. No holes far down as I wanted to prevent drafts. They have sunlight from windows and I keep a light on during the day then at night they have a nightlight. They can definitely see- it is not pitch black. I had the light fully on for the first couple days. Then moved to a nightlight yesterday.

 

[Debbie292d]

My chicks are 5 days old today. Yesterday, I noticed a couple sleeping away from the heat plate but would eventually go in and out. Today when checking in on them on the camera I noticed they started sleeping on the opposite side of the brooder away from the heat plate in a big pile on top of each other. Is this normal? Will they get chilled and die? Will the move back under the heat if they get cold?

They have a heat plate instead of a heat lamp. The plate is slanted for chicks to choose how warm they want to be. At the height so their back can touch when standing. Other than this odd thing, they seem rather normal. Eating, drinking, lively. Normal poops. Clean butts (except 1). Very quiet, makes literally no noise unless I come and talk to them and they’ll cheep at me. I’m just afraid I’m doing something wrong!

I also have 1 chick out of 7 that has had pasty butt every day for 5 straight days. All of them had electrolytes and vitamins in their water for the first 5 days, on purina medicated chick starter. No treats, pine bedding. Is her pasty butt ever going to go away?- should I be worried about losing her?

Sorry for so many questions!

For recurrent pasty butt issues, you could make a small batch of raw ACV water for them for a day and see if that helps clear it up. I hear it does, but I've not had the issue with it. The dose is 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with the mother per gallon of water. I don't think they're weird, they just are warm and getting away from the source. If they were too hot, they'd be panting and spread out.

 

[BrahmasMama02]

I think they’re too warm for sure