brooder over crowding?

[DavidFromGlenEden]

Hi BYC,

How do you deal with over an populated brooder? For example all chicks like to gather in crowds just like a bee swarm. For example, they all gather in a corner and stomp on one another, they would also all gather under the ceramic light and stomp on each other too. This leaves a poor chick being stomped on and dying as a result.

They don't just gather under the heat but in random corners too even though the temperature of the brooder is a 100f.

Is there a chick per square inch ratio?

Thanks

David

 

[red horse ranch]

100f degrees seems a little too warm. Chicks need 95f the first week and that should be reduced 5 degrees each week. Chicks will huddle when they are too hot, too cold, or scared. I'm not sure what the chick per square inch ratio is but if the temperature is right and nothing scares them they should be scattered around the brooder, eating, drinking and sleeping. It sounds like something might not be right with your setup.

 

[Ruralhideaway]

90s first week only in the very warmest spot. Room temperature area is needed. Raise your light and position it at one end assuming a small brooder.

How many chicks what dimensions?

Pic of the setup would help lots.
Edit to add pics of the entire set up.

 

[DavidFromGlenEden]

thanks for the swift response, attached are pictures of my full set up. I've put chicken wire under the ceramic light so they don't huddle under it and stomp one another. I have a see through perspex glass for us to look at them but sometimes they gather in a see through corner and huddle there too, more stomping

That's my see through nursery brooder for any quail chick under 10 grams (0.35 oz). Once they have a feather or two they go to my primary school woodenbrooder where they are on a wire for food and drinker, wooden floor for the sleeping area. The same huddling happens obviously less under the heat lamp as there's a chicken wire right underneath to give everyone an equal chance to get heat. Two of my birds had a broken beak, one died, the other was not well. I don't know if it's a disease, perhaps fighting, or the beak got caught somewhere. Pictures of the brooder attached.

so why the huddling in both brooders and why the broken beaks!! the see through brooder nursery is 3 square feet, where most of the huddling/stomping happens, there could be between 10 to 25 chicks in there. The primary school wooden brooder is 7 square feet where huddling happens and got two broken beak so far. There could be us to 40 chicks in there until they go to the outside secondary school brooder, night heater only.

thank you,

David

 

[Ruralhideaway]

Are these all quail? I'm sorry I have no useful knowledge about brooding quail. Hopefully the right people will be along soon who can help.

What size bulb is that? What sort of bedding are you using? If that's bark chips I know it wouldn't be good for chicks, not sure about quail.

Hope you find answers soon.

 

[chickens really]

Hello...
First off the heat lamp should be raised higher and have an area that is cool and one that is warm..The brooder is a bit crowded..Sand or pine shavings works great as bedding. Placing a Chick height thermometer will help gauge the temp. Sleeping area the warmest and feed and water area cooler

 

[DavidFromGlenEden]

Hey Chickens Really, would the warm / cool area apply in a brooder focussed for one week old chicks only? I will try something softer than mulch as the latter isn't fully sanitised, it's dug out from the garden. All my brooders come with a thermostat tuned to different stages of their week of age. A bit crowed, yes, point taken, since the picture was taken I bought another ceramic lamp and separated the nursery brooder into two.

As for the two chicks that had a broken beak, my strong suspicion was a fight for territory/pecking order. I was anxious on an epidemic. These two chicks were the two biggest in the primary school brooder. I strongly suspect a fight as one was down, the other was not well. Both beaks were fractured top and bottom.

Thanks BYC.

 

[chickens really]

Heat lamps should be no less than 18 inches above Chicks..Heat will cause issues if the can't get to a cooler area...Think of Momma Hens with Chicks..They do not keep them warm all the time during feeding and foraging..Only when needed..

 

[Mrs. K]

To give more space, I think I would take the big objects out, the feeder and ice cube tray. Try a vertical waters with nipples or a smaller bottle hanging from the side. I find they do better for me to offer feed several times a day, verses a constant supply.

I too vote for a warm spot and a much cooler area, where chicks can go for a warm up and venture out into cooler temperatures.

However, I have only raised chicks, but I have heard smothering can be common with quail.

Mrs K

 

[DavidFromGlenEden]

thank you for the advice miss K and Chickens Really. I think where I'm going wrong is the little lamp in the nursery brooder has a 40w ceramic lamp, the primary school brooder has a 70w ceramic lamp as well. This means the heat isn't going very far and as a result I lowered the heat lamps. This created a heat spot and the chicks would huddle right in that spot.

I just bought two 150w ceramic heat lamps as a result, thank you once more for your advice.

David