Chick loss

[Chickin Out]

Are you using medicated feed?

 

[Avian Allie]

Does their dung look sticky and runny? My first thought would be coccidia. But check for overheating, if they all huddle under the lamp they’re cold, if they’re squished against the wall their hot. I’ve found a really weird trend where if I only get a handful chickens I lose some or all, if I get over a dozen they usually all survive. Adding a little apple cider vinegar to the water will boost immunity.

 

[jgarner1327]

I woke up this morning to find another of my baby chicks died sometime during the night.
I bought four chickens three days ago at Tractor supply. They are my first chickens. I made a brooder with a cardboard box, bought a heat lamp, I am using pine shavings for bedding. I keep their water and food clean. I feed them Dumor chick starter, that is what the store was feeding them.
The first fatality was yesterday, and that chick was weak and sleepy, and just faded.
This chick was perky and happy last night before I went to bed. Eating and drinking water.
The remaining two are happy and appear healthy too.
What could the problem be?

Is it too hot or too cold in the box? Is there some air circulation? Is the floor dry?

 

[Alanzs]

It sounds like maybe the heat and possible lack of ventilation, But, I've raised many hundreds of chicks and sometimes they just die for no apparent reason. Usually, they die within a few days of being hatched.
I've had some that looked perfect, and were dead within hours. I've never had a sickly chick survive, so these are Darwin moments for everyone.
Hang in there and you'll find raising chickens very rewarding.

 

[bjurbrat]

This is incorrect. It’s the reverse, actually. Cedar shavings are toxic.

Definitely pine is NOT toxic I use it every week cedar is deadly

 

[bjurbrat]

Cardboard box is a problem that would exasperate the dust issue. It has nowhere to go but down over the chicks..

For Pete sakes you can use a box or tub chicks die sorry that why I buy 3 or 4 sometimes you just end up with 1 but that ok I ended up with 1 polish so sweet follow me around we dig worms together but this spring I got 3 more lol she's not very happy when it comes bed time but that's ok too ❤

 

[Alanzs]

Definitely pine is NOT toxic I use it every week cedar is deadly

I've been using pine shavings for years and never had any problems. I buy it compressed and in bulk bails. It's dusty, so I carefully spread it out and will lightly mist the brooder area.
I know people who hate it, but it's worked well for me and my circumstances.

 

[JBirds3]

Just by the original information you gave and knowing nothing else I would bet they overheated. Secondly and more important, Do not use a heat lamp in a cardboard box. The next thing that overheats may be your home.

 

[bjurbrat]

I've been using pine shavings for years and never had any problems. I buy it compressed and in bulk bails. It's dusty, so I carefully spread it out and will lightly mist the brooder area.
I know people who hate it, but it's worked well for me and my circumstances.

That could happen but for 3 yrs eventually I get a frig box its perfect I put chick wire over the top (i have cats) and clamp the heat lamp to a old desk it works for me I've never put it lower then the box always above the wire

 

[RooFarm]

I woke up this morning to find another of my baby chicks died sometime during the night.
I bought four chickens three days ago at Tractor supply. They are my first chickens. I made a brooder with a cardboard box, bought a heat lamp, I am using pine shavings for bedding. I keep their water and food clean. I feed them Dumor chick starter, that is what the store was feeding them.
The first fatality was yesterday, and that chick was weak and sleepy, and just faded.
This chick was perky and happy last night before I went to bed. Eating and drinking water.
The remaining two are happy and appear healthy too.
What could the problem be?

I have had a run of the same thing the last couple of years. I would bring chicks home,keeping them in a cage shielded from drafts,off the floor,on clean towels to avoid wood dust, with temp at an even 90 degrees to start,plenty of room to move about,in and out from under the heat lamp to avoid chilling or overheating,clean food and water,etc. They would be fine at first,then after anywhere from a week or two or three,I would start losing them. I've raised chicks for years doing this,and,up until several years ago, rarely,if ever lost one.And most all,which I still have a good number of, lived or are still living,at least a decade.But the last couple of years,things suddenly changed-I would lose nearly all of them,the oldest living little more than a year.I don't understand this either,like something has changed.Because I was always able to raise them successfully before,now I'm afraid to try anymore.The only real success I have had,is when hatched them from the mother,not store bought.(All but two of my geese are home-born and raised,so are my ducks-no problem.) One of the chicks raised this way lived to be 14-1/2 years old-well over 100 in human years! I don't know what has changed the past several years,except the crazy erratic weather patterns in the spring,when the chicks are shipped-maybe being subjected to the weather changes has something to do with it.Anybody else have any ideas?