Baby chicks are dying

[4 chicks]

I had a batch of 9 eggs hatch on Thursday. They have all been perfectly fine. ..eating, drinking, pooping, playing...the tonight all but 2 died within 5 minutes. The two that remain, are still not out of the woods. What the heck happened? ?? I had a heater at about 100.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I had a batch of 9 eggs hatch on Thursday. They have all been perfectly fine. ..eating, drinking, pooping, playing...the tonight all but 2 died within 5 minutes. The two that remain, are still not out of the woods. What the heck happened? ?? I had a heater at about 100.

100 is too hot even for newly hatched babies -- that is likely part of the issue as overheating can lead to a rapid decline in overall health. What are you brooding them in and what are you using for a heat source? Is the brooder large enough that they are able to get away from the warmest part and move to a cooler part of the brooder if they want?

 

[4 chicks]

100 is too hot even for newly hatched babies -- that is likely part of the issue as overheating can lead to a rapid decline in overall health.  What are you brooding them in and what are you using for a heat source?  Is the brooder large enough that they are able to get away from the warmest part and move to a cooler part of the brooder if they want?

They are in a bin. I have a heating lamp. They have room to move away...but hadn't.

 

[azjustin]

I will usually put a thermometer at the COLD end of the brooder to see if they can adequately escape the heat. Sometimes it surprises me how warm it is 24" away from the lamp.

Any incessant cheeping?

You mentioned everyone was pooping OK, I'd double check that to make sure no pasty butt. We have a hen that consistently gives us a couple of chicks a week that have problems. A couple of them have had a very thin layer of poop blocking the vent and causing problems, not like the usual mound on the rear.

Sometimes chicks just die once their yolk sac meal is up (day 3ish) due to internal problems that we could never diagnose before they die.

Don't ever trust a single thermostat, especially one that is built it to anything. The more the merrier(and more accurate)!

Hopefully you get it figured out.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I will usually put a thermometer at the COLD end of the brooder to see if they can adequately escape the heat. Sometimes it surprises me how warm it is 24" away from the lamp.

Any incessant cheeping?

You mentioned everyone was pooping OK, I'd double check that to make sure no pasty butt. We have a hen that consistently gives us a couple of chicks a week that have problems. A couple of them have had a very thin layer of poop blocking the vent and causing problems, not like the usual mound on the rear.

Sometimes chicks just die once their yolk sac meal is up (day 3ish) due to internal problems that we could never diagnose before they die.

Don't ever trust a single thermostat, especially one that is built it to anything. The more the merrier(and more accurate)!

Hopefully you get it figured out.

I use a thermometer in both sides as well, to make sure there is enough of a difference between my warm and cool side because the heat lamps do throw off a lot off heat farther out than you'd think. Especially in a small brooder.

I remove my chicks from the incubator once they are up and moving so I do keep my ""hot area" 100 degrees at hatch time. After everyone has hatched and is dry and active I will let it vary between 95-100. Mind you, I have a large brooder so they have room to move to different areas that are different temps. If I see the majority staying as far away from the heat as they can, I higher my lamp or adjust it away from the brooder to lower the temp.

I watch my chicks for signs of too hot/too cold to adjust for their needs.

 

[PD-Riverman]

They are in a bin. I have a heating lamp. They have room to move away...but hadn't.

How big is the bin?
What kind/wattage heat lamp?
What do you feed them?
All dead in 5 minutes sounds like something serious went wrong---that caused the death---not a internal sickness unless they eat or drank "bad" food or water.