Babies are dying HELP

[BoDi174]

We are new at raising chicks and we are losing our babies left and right. Can anyone help we are so much at a loss. Thanks so much. Diane

 

[packinaglock]

Are you keeping them warm?

 

[ruth]

Hi Diane - welcome to BYC - you've come to the right place for advice.

Could you please provide more information on how/why you are losing the chicks.

Age, feed, brooder information, etc. How they are acting before they die. Any and all informaton would help determine what is going wrong.

 

[haymil]

Temperature is the most important thing at a young age. Need more details.. How old are they? Where are you keeping them? What are you feeding them?

 

[the1much]

what are you feeding them,, how cold are they getting,, what "shape" are they in,, are they staying dry,, is there "bugs" on them?

 

[keeperofthehearth]

Can you give more info? Are they sick? What are their symptoms? Are they eating? Drinking? Pooing? Lethargic? etc? The more info you can give us the better. Thanks!

 

[banter]

Do not use cedar chips-I learned the hard way. Use newspaper or straw for bedding.

 

[BoDi174]

Thanks so much for answering us....worried mom and dads are the worst!! We got them 1 wk ago on 9-19 from McMurray's. one had passed so that left us with 25 babies. I had them on newspaper but changed that to pine shavings and hay mix. they are in a brooder and we started the temp at 95 to 100 which is the temp under the heat lamp. lamp is red to calm picking. when paste was notice I remover it. they are on chick starter with two water dispenser which are cleaned daily. when we are going to loss one they begin by looking like they are "napping" but never seem to come out of it. the two we lost today were doing just fine yesterday...eating, drinking and if they "napped' they would do it for a short while wake up and start eating and drinking and running around. Very confused

 

[the1much]

are they piling up on each other?,, if you go near the brooder do they run into a corner fast and trample each other?

sorry for all the ?'s ,, but this seems weird,, something NOT right,, and it doesnt sound like anything your doing to them.

 

[BoDi174]

No they don't run. they are begining to look up at me when I sit next to the brooder and I place my hand in there so they can check me out and get used to touch. this is so hard. we have been Blessed with 3 dogs, 5 cats, 4 sheep, 5 cashmere goats, 2 llamas and 4 foster cats. we also have 2 hens and 1 rooster I raised last year. they were older when we got them so i guess it gave me the "I know what I'm doing now" frame of mind. Boy has my clock been cleaned!!! God has given all this to us. i just wish i was a better mom. any other suggestions??