A pattern of deaths: chick get knocked over by bigger chick , help.

[TheAFrameFarmstead]

Well so we got 8- one day old chicks 6 days ago. And I got 8 older chicks that are in the same range and 11 days old. I was told they will be fine together. Yesterday I was cleaning out their brooder and the older one flapped it wings and tried to fly to the other side of the cage and then knocked over a youngin. It would get up like it was splayed on the ground. I picked it up and it was peeping, it declined from that point on with balance issues then lethergy and not being able to eat. I had to fill it because it couldn't swallow the nutri drench and I think it got into it's lungs. It was my first full and I cried like a baby. Now a little after culling I cleaned the cage again and the older birds did the same scenario and another 6 day old bird was splayed on the ground. This morning it's dead.
I removed the younger birds from the12 day old birds box and made a seperate brooder.
Is this common and am I missing something? All the similarities are that they got knocked over and couldn't get up. I gave them all nutridrench.

I'm baffled and am blaming myself for cleaning the cage and getting the older birds

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm sorry for your loss.

Can you share some photos of your brooder set-up?

Maybe not enough space was the issue? It's good that you separated them out.

Where are you planning on putting the chicks once they are older?

 

[TheAFrameFarmstead]

I'm sorry for your loss.

Can you share some photos of your brooder set-up?

Maybe not enough space was the issue? It's good that you separated them out.

Where are you planning on putting the chicks once they are older?

I'm sorry for your loss.

Can you share some photos of your brooder set-up?

Maybe not enough space was the issue? It's good that you separated them out.

Where are you planning on putting the chicks once they are older?

Thank you.
The smaller brooder box with all hardware cloth was where they all were, I now think youre right it probably was too small for 16. I feel like an idiot.
Now it has all the smaller ones, 8.

The cardboard box with the screen on it has 6 bigger birds with an ecoglow.

When they're older I originally planned to put them all in a watermelon box now I'm sitting here unsure about what I will do with the two different sizes besides dropping 18 dollars at tractor supply for two different large containers.
We are building a 3x the size witchita coop .

While typing this a bird flew into my closed window outside and broke it's neck and I'm trying not to take that as a bad omen. I'm not including the picture.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you.
The smaller brooder box with all hardware cloth was where they all were, I now think youre right it probably was too small for 16. I feel like an idiot.
Now it has all the smaller ones, 8.

The cardboard box with the screen on it has 6 bigger birds with an ecoglow.

When they're older I originally planned to put them all in a watermelon box now I'm sitting here unsure about what I will do with the two different sizes besides dropping 18 dollars at tractor supply for two different large containers.
We are building a 3x the size witchita coop .

While typing this a bird flew into my closed window outside and broke it's neck and I'm trying not to take that as a bad omen. I'm not including the picture.

Yes, those are too small for 16 birds. 8 will be a very tight fit in a few days.
If you have the Watermelon box(es), you may want to go ahead and set those up and get the babies transitioned. You could always put 2 boxes together - make one huge space and let them back together and see how it goes. I usually don't have that many at one time, but I usually hit up stores to get free boxes (Like Dollar General) - some cutting and piecing along with a warped up tape job, I can make a fairly large brooder quickly Chicks go outside within a week or two at the most.

I understand you are in the process of getting your coop/run fixed, you'll be glad to get them outside I'm sure. Chicks in the house get stinkier by the day (it seems like every day they poop 3X more than the previous day LOL) They are also shedding fluff which is oily and sticks to everything. 16 large fowl will take quite a bit of space, so build as big as you can.

LOL Poor song bird. You can post photos if you like, this is the ER forums so we've seen quite a few things. It's coincidence, not a bad omen!

Just looking at your photo again - the one with the lamp, you will want to watch the heat for sure - there's not a great deal of space to move to a cooler side. If you find the chicks are avoiding the warm side, raise your lamp - chicks can overheat quickly and can actually stand being a little cooler than we think at times.

Hope all goes well for you.