Can you put a chick back in the incubator if they're doing poorly in the brooder?

[Saveria]

I picked up chicks from the PO yesterday from Hoovers hatchery. I have a chick that was acting lethargic and couldn't walk around normal in the brooder. I found her lying under the brinsea heater, I thought she might be dead, but now she has pepped up a little bit in my shirt sling.

Would it help her to get her into a warm incubator? It is hard to keep her in my shirt cause I have an 8 month old who wants me to hold him all the time, and I am afraid he will squish her. Anyone know if putting a chick back in an incubator can help with a failure to thrive sort of thing?

Thank you!

 

[Battlepants]

Could we get a picture of your brooder setup and any temperature readings of the setup?

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Yes, you could put her in an incubator as a sort of "chick ICU". If you do, though, water that you put in there for her to drink will evaporate quickly. She may also get lonely, so she may enjoy a small mirror for company.

Some vitamin/electrolyte support may also be helpful. Poultry Nutri-Drench is particularly effective as it provides a source of easily-assimilated energy (and vitamins).

Best of luck!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Certainly no harm in trying. I did the same with a barely climbing brahma pullet from the mail. She didn't end up making it, but she wouldn't have made it in the brooder either tbh

 

[Saveria]

Could we get a picture of your brooder setup and any temperature readings of the setup?

I don't have temp. readings, I was judging by their behavior. I can probably get photos later, but let me describe.

-I have a brinsea 600. The brooder is in an out building that was 40 degrees last night. One chick was dead under this thing this morning, the struggling chick as well. I am thinking that thing did nothing.

- I setup a heat lamp of just a 40W red bulb in the brooder with the brinsea yesterday because I didn't think it was enough.

- at 6pm last night I knew they needed more. I got a 250W bulb. It burned out as soon as it turned on. I got my back up 250w bulb. It was working at 12 midnight. I went out in the AM and that had burned out, too. I put the 40w back in. I came back an hour later, that's when I found the chicks under there.

- The ambient temp is 55 in the outbuilding now. I am going later to get more heat lamp bulbs. Life keeps throwing barrels at me today.

Do you think the chicks just got too cold? The didn't look good yesterday either, so maybe they are the canaries, so to speak. These are my first mail chicks. I may go back to local farms next year

 

[Battlepants]

Without a thermometer, there's a easy trick to check your chick temperature.

Are your chicks:
*Huddled together close to whatever heatsource they can find? Probably too cold
*Moving about the brooder, maybe some by heat, maybe some eating/drinking? Probably just right
*As far from the heater as possible, wings out, maybe beak open? Probably too hot

 

[Saveria]

All of them are huddled under the 40W bulb, so they are definitely too cold. I am mad that the brinsea isn't helping at all, and that I needed 3 250W light bulbs!

 

[Battlepants]

Is it possible to move them into a semi-climate-controlled area for a few weeks to feather out a bit? Got room in a garage?

 

[Saveria]

I am going to set up something for them in the house tonight if I have to. I have 20 in there right now, 5 are going to homes today, 4 tomorrow. I can at least get the fifteen inside in a plastic tote tonight. It will be tight, but they will be warm enough. Even if I can get a 250 watt bulb, I don't feel like I can trust it after this.

Thanks for helping me think this thing out!

 

[Battlepants]

Better to be a bit crowded than to be cold. Just make sure there is decent airflow in the room to avoid CO2 buildup. Alternatively, punch some holes in the side of the tote.