Cackle Hatchery

[JacinLarkwell]

What heating method do you use?

Red lamp for the first week or two and then the pad once they aren't stupid and can tolerate slightly cooler temperatures

 

[goldenyears]

What heating method do you use?

Sorry, I hit “send” too soon! I don’t like heat lamps as they’re always shining on the chicks, possibly affecting sleep patterns, and I’ve read that they can trigger aggression. I’m not convinced on the science of either of those notions but it supports my setup …. My personal experience with brooding plates has been working, most recently on the Bielefelder chicks I received, all of which are thriving, hence my frustration of losing 50% of the latest order.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Sorry, I hit “send” too soon! I don’t like heat lamps as they’re always shining on the chicks, possibly affecting sleep patterns, and I’ve read that they can trigger aggression. I’m not convinced on the science of either of those notions but it supports my setup …. My personal experience with brooding plates has been working, most recently on the Bielefelder chicks I received, all of which are thriving, hence my frustration of losing 50% of the latest order.

My set up works way better without the lamps too, but my orders seem to survive better when they don't die under or right in front of the heating plates.

I don't buy that it causes aggression or affects sleep patterns, because often times I'll go out there and see dozens of snoring bodies scattered in the boxes that only wake up when I decide to sneeze.

If anything, I think it helps them because if they wake up in the dark, they can see where the food and water is where chicks without the light can't until daylight comes

 

[Poultrybonkers]

I read heat plates dont stay warm enough for newly hatched chicks..I personally never used one as heat lamps works just fine for me same with pine shavings never had an issue

 

[goldenyears]

Maybe I’ll experiment with next order by setting up brooder plate in one section and heat lamp in the other to see what the chicks decide, while still offering open are with less heat, food and water.

 

[SpicyDisaster]

No, I layer a paper similar to what you see on an exam table except it’s absorbent. Add some apple cider vinegar to the water and use a brooding plate for heat. 20% non medicated feed. Same setup I use for all chicks except the plate is lowered on an angle to height I use for quail.

Red lamp for the first week or two and then the pad once they aren't stupid and can tolerate slightly cooler temperatures

Agreed here. I love the brooder plates, however, with shipped chicks they need the extra fast and high heat of the light for the first few days after arrival. Cackle has a video explanation on the site and there's an "I agree" section on the order screen. We had 22 arrive in February with three looking worse for wear on arrival. Cackle customer service was incredibly polite and helpful, providing replacement for two (the third was just extra sleepy) as there weren't extras of those breeds in the box. I'd reach out and discuss the DOA birds but those that are lost after arrival unfortunately don't qualify. It's possible if they had a rough shipment that they just couldn't get warm enough fast enough under the plate to recover.

 

[NatJ]

No, I layer a paper similar to what you see on an exam table except it’s absorbent. Add some apple cider vinegar to the water and use a brooding plate for heat. 20% non medicated feed. Same setup I use for all chicks except the plate is lowered on an angle to height I use for quail.

Cackle's page of guarantees & policies says to use a heat lamp, not a brooder plate, for the first few days:

https://www.cacklehatchery.com/guarantees-policies/

MAIL ORDER CHICKS REQUIRE HEAT BULB NOT HEAT PLATE

Mail order poultry is entirely different than poultry hatched out in an incubator at home or under a hen. Mail order poultry require much more heat initially for the 4-7 days than a heat plate generally can provide. Mail order chicks need their body temperature rapidly and immediately and artificially warmed up to 104 degrees (which is a mother hens’ temperature). Most heat plates do not do this....

(The part I quoted is near the bottom of the very long page of stuff.)

Given that Cackle has this information posted several places, I think they must be hearing about a lot more chick deaths since brooder plates became common. And if the heat source really does make the difference in how many chicks die, I can see why the hatchery considers that the fault of the customer instead of being the hatchery's fault.

 

[Lenny loves chickens]

Maybe I’ll experiment with next order by setting up brooder plate in one section and heat lamp in the other to see what the chicks decide, while still offering open are with less heat, food and water.

Tag me if you do this. I would like to see the difference between the two

 

[McChooky]

From your description, it definitely sounds like shipping stress is the culprit! Unfortunately it looks like their guarantee leaves quite a lot of room for their interpretation: "Cackle Hatchery is unable to refund or replace any poultry after it has arrived safe and in a timely manner. Our pricing is not setup to incur these types of expenses and risk beyond that point. Our replacement or refund policy is only for unsafe or unusually long shipping risks that the USPS causes and must be reported immediately".

I would try calling back and escalating to a supervisor if possible. I've had the best success with customer service by being polite but firm and insistent.

Its my understanding they only guarantee a safe and timely arrival therefore they would only owe for any that arrived dead.The devils in the details.

 

[McChooky]

Nope, after all, it’s MY FAULT! I could possibly understand why no remedy for the Thursday and Friday deaths, but not the four on arrival day.

I had an order from Cackle, I ordered eight, nine were shipped, five were dead on arrival. The deaths were not Cackles fault, they cannot control the USPS. But they gave me a full refund no questions asked. Disappointing they did not do the same for you.

Your chicks arrived dead.Thats all they guarantee.