Chicks died

[AmyLynn2374]

Are you saying you had 60 chicks in a 2 foot by 3 foot brooder? That would only be a total of 12 square feet which is way too small for that many chicks. So, to begin with you need a much larger brooder. I had 27 chicks in a brooder that measured 8x10 (80 sq ft) and they did well AND grew into it very fast. Second, if you do only have a 2x3 brooder with two heat lamps I am guessing you have on heat lamp at each end. It could be they are getting over heated if they don't have any place to get away from the heat. That can kill chicks a lot faster than being too cold. You say you are using "fine pine shavings" for bedding. Switch that out for the larger pine shavings. Fine shaving create way too much dust for chicks. Also, did you cover the shaving for the first few days with paper towels? It could be that the chicks that dies ate the shavings. Always give them a chance to discover their food before they discover the shavings. Now, you are using a 5 gallon waterer and a 30 lb feeder which would indicate that the 2x3 brooder is a mistype since those would fill the brooder and leave no room for the chicks.

Can you provide a picture of your setup? It might make it easier for use to offer more acurate suggestions if we could actually see what it looks like.

x2

 

[TwinWillowAcres]

Quote:

Are you saying you had 60 chicks in a 2 foot by 3 foot brooder? That would only be a total of 12 square feet which is way too small for that many chicks. So, to begin with you need a much larger brooder. I had 27 chicks in a brooder that measured 8x10 (80 sq ft) and they did well AND grew into it very fast. Second, if you do only have a 2x3 brooder with two heat lamps I am guessing you have on heat lamp at each end. It could be they are getting over heated if they don't have any place to get away from the heat. That can kill chicks a lot faster than being too cold. You say you are using "fine pine shavings" for bedding. Switch that out for the larger pine shavings. Fine shaving create way too much dust for chicks. Also, did you cover the shaving for the first few days with paper towels? It could be that the chicks that dies ate the shavings. Always give them a chance to discover their food before they discover the shavings. Now, you are using a 5 gallon waterer and a 30 lb feeder which would indicate that the 2x3 brooder is a mistype since those would fill the brooder and leave no room for the chicks.

Can you provide a picture of your setup? It might make it easier for use to offer more acurate suggestions if we could actually see what it looks like.

I don't think it's 2 x 3 actually. It's a baby playpen from the 1990s. So whatever the average size is. When I googled it, mattresses are 27 x 29 which is about 7.3 sq ft. At 3.5 weeks old, they are growing into it fast, but they still huddle under the heat lamps (there is space that isn't heated by the lamps) so I figured having them in close confinement would be better so they can use their body heat to keep them warm. They are in our garage. The fine pine shavings have been working okay; they just dirty it up in a couple hours after I clean it. But I clean their brooder out once a week along with weighing them once a week. I wing banded them at a week old for individual identification I don't have to keep replacing. No, I didn't cover the shavings.

I keep meaning to provide a picture but I don't have a good one that shows the entire set up. Tomorrow when I go to feed them I will take a picture.

But here's pics of the little cuties that I've been taking every week after weighing them

Day old


One week
Barred Rock avg wt: 2.7 oz - Buff Orpington avg wt: 2.4 oz - Red Sex Link avg wt: 2.5 oz


Two weeks
Barred Rock avg wt: 5.2 oz - Buff Orpington avg wt: 4.8 oz - Red Sex Link avg wt: 4.9 oz


Three weeks
Barred Rock avg wt: 7.9 oz - Buff Orpington avg wt: 7.5 oz - Red Sex Link avg wt: 7.7 oz

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Quote:

I don't think it's 2 x 3 actually. It's a baby playpen from the 1990s. So whatever the average size is. When I googled it, mattresses are 27 x 29 which is about 7.3 sq ft. At 3.5 weeks old, they are growing into it fast, but they still huddle under the heat lamps (there is space that isn't heated by the lamps) so I figured having them in close confinement would be better so they can use their body heat to keep them warm. They are in our garage. The fine pine shavings have been working okay; they just dirty it up in a couple hours after I clean it. But I clean their brooder out once a week along with weighing them once a week. I wing banded them at a week old for individual identification I don't have to keep replacing. No, I didn't cover the shavings.

I keep meaning to provide a picture but I don't have a good one that shows the entire set up. Tomorrow when I go to feed them I will take a picture.

But here's pics of the little cuties that I've been taking every week after weighing them

Day old


One week
Barred Rock avg wt: 2.7 oz - Buff Orpington avg wt: 2.4 oz - Red Sex Link avg wt: 2.5 oz


Two weeks
Barred Rock avg wt: 5.2 oz - Buff Orpington avg wt: 4.8 oz - Red Sex Link avg wt: 4.9 oz


Three weeks
Barred Rock avg wt: 7.9 oz - Buff Orpington avg wt: 7.5 oz - Red Sex Link avg wt: 7.7 oz

Cool progression pics!

 

[TwinWillowAcres]

I finally measured the playpen. It is 28x41 inches. And thanks AmyLynn2374

 

[lazy gardener]

Amy Lynn: Just my opinion, but I think you need a bigger brooder. That many chicks in such a small space does not allow them to self regulate their temp. Do you have a thermometer in there? If they get scared, and they can do that for any and absolutely NO reason, they will pig pile, and ones on the bottom of the pile can be smothered. Do you ever see them panting? If so, they're overheated. At this age, they need plenty of room to run around, and even practice their flying. Crowded chicks can quickly develop aggression, which can carry over into adulthood.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Amy Lynn: Just my opinion, but I think you need a bigger brooder. That many chicks in such a small space does not allow them to self regulate their temp. Do you have a thermometer in there? If they get scared, and they can do that for any and absolutely NO reason, they will pig pile, and ones on the bottom of the pile can be smothered. Do you ever see them panting? If so, they're overheated. At this age, they need plenty of room to run around, and even practice their flying. Crowded chicks can quickly develop aggression, which can carry over into adulthood.

You are talking to the wrong person dear. I believe you mean to speak to twin willow acres.

 

[TwinWillowAcres]

lazy gardener, no I don't have a thermometer. They have cardboard around the playpen so they can't see outside. When someone walks up to the playpen, they freak out a bit and huddle in the corner, but nobody gets smothered. They all stand alert. But once food or fresh water gets put in they calm down and when you go to pet them they don't run or walk away. They stand there and they let you pet them or others will come up to your hand also. But no, I never see them panting. They are huddled under the heat lamps sleeping most of the time, so I figure they're cold (hence the two heat lamps about 14" off of the ground covering the small area plus having the playpen wrapped in cardboard to prevent the heat from escaping; also close confinement to keep each other warm with their body heat).

And over the next couple of days, they will be moved into an 8x12 shed. They won't have the whole space (it's my mom's gardening shed, so stuff has to be moved out of the way before the chicks can be moved in), but it will still be more room than they have now. I was going to build a cage off of the ground to hang in my barn over the sheep for them, but the barn doesn't have all the siding on it yet (we're building it), so I was going to wait until it was all done to move them in there.

So far I haven't seen any aggression in the chicks. And I also had five pullets raised in a medium sized dog cage (half the size of the playpen, probably) until they were two months old and then they were given their 4x4 chicken house and they run around the yard. They are friendly towards me and other animals. I will occasionally see them attack each other for food (like treats I throw at them) but that's normal chicken behavior. My sheep do it too, especially when I throw bread out to them.

 

[ImNotYogi]

Lol, I love the BR's pose in the first photo.

"Superstar!"