Chicks dropping like flies

[Terri E]

Okay. Hopefully you are able to understand me in this post.
I have tote brooders. One kennel cage as a brooder. The kennel contains 20 chicks. All alive from breeder. One large tote contains 14 chicks, all alive from a different breeder. The longest tote, had smaller hatched chicks, of which I took out of The same breed and placed them in a small tote. Another large tote contained 9 chicks from a breeder. All are lined up against the wall, inside my home. Heat lamp on, never to close. Turned off when its too hot to lower temp. On to raise.
The holes on the totes are 3/4 inch the entire top of the lid on two totes. With holes on the top half on the side x2. One tote top is replaced with cage wire.

Bedding changed regularly.
Fresh water twice, sometimes three times a day.
Fresh starter feed morning and as the day goes on.

Now, I can't see anything wrong, can you?
However, chicks are dropping like flies. I find one every morning. Lately, yesterday, total died 4. This morning and just now, 2. I can't see the reason why.
At 1st, I thought that the other chicks squashed the one that died. Now, is apparent that they are just dropping dead.
I've checked their droppings, poop. All normal. But I still took precaution and bought medicated feed. What is it that I'm doing wrong?
I did electroltes. Still, dying.

Can anyone give any other advice on what could be, or can be done? Any and all comments welcomed.

 

[Shezadandy]

What are you using for bedding? If it's cedar shavings, remove them immediately if not sooner and replace with paper towels until you can get pine.

Your bulb could be one of the ones that lets off the gas that kills chicks.
So no pasty butt? How are they acting up until they die?


Can you take pictures of your setup so we can better visualize what you have going on?

 

[BlueBaby]

I agree that it could be the type of bulb that you are using.

 

[drumstick diva]

agree also

 

[rebrascora]

Seeing a photo of your set up will help better than trying to envisage it from your description but totes with solid sides can lead to overheating. There should be a warm patch in the brooder but the rest of it should be room temp or lower and the food and water should be in the coolest part. Cages are better than totes because they are more open and the air can circulate and the heat doesn't fill the whole area. If these chicks were broody reared they would be running around outside and only go under the broody to warm up every now and then and that is what you should be aiming for in a brooder which is why a heat plate or Mama heating pad is best. Constant heat is not good for them. This may not be the problem but seeing your set up will give us a better idea. It also might help to know what wattage the heat lamp is?
Is it the chicks in the middle brooder that are suffering most? If so, that would also suggest heat build up.

 

[Terri E]

What are you using for bedding? If it's cedar shavings, remove them immediately if not sooner and replace with paper towels until you can get pine.

Your bulb could be one of the ones that lets off the gas that kills chicks.
So no pasty butt? How are they acting up until they die?


Can you take pictures of your setup so we can better visualize what you have going on?

Yes. I do use shavings from TSC. I'll remove them and replace with paper towels.
I always keep an eye out on pasty butted chicks and clean them up. So no losses once and before it starts. As for the light bulbs, I use Brooder lamps and bulbs. Should I replace the bulbs with reg light bulbs?

I am not able to provide pictures. My connection drops a lot, or stalls causing double or triple posts. Even with regular posts.
Update: 3 chicks died. All in different totes. I removed the larger chicks from one tote and so far, Tyne chicks left are doing fine. So don't know if the bigger chicks were doing pecking order on younger chicks?
On the second tote, it had to do with suffercating. probably not warm enough, but did move heart to cover them. 3rd tote is unknown, medium tote only containing one breed of 4 chicks. Plenty of room. On that same tote, very soon, down to 2 chicks. One is dying right now. Removed her.
Okay while typing she passed away on me.
Going to remove shavings now.
Again, should I replace bulbs with reg. Light bulbs?

 

[Terri E]

What are you using for bedding? If it's cedar shavings, remove them immediately if not sooner and replace with paper towels until you can get pine.

Your bulb could be one of the ones that lets off the gas that kills chicks.
So no pasty butt? How are they acting up until they die?


Can you take pictures of your setup so we can better visualize what you have going on?

Yes. I do use shavings from TSC. I'll remove them and replace with paper towels.
I always keep an eye out on pasty butted chicks and clean them up. So no losses once and before it starts. As for the light bulbs, I use Brooder lamps and bulbs. Should I replace the bulbs with reg light bulbs?

I am not able to provide pictures. My connection drops a lot, or stalls causing double or triple posts. Even with regular posts.
Update: 3 chicks died. All in different totes. I removed the larger chicks from one tote and so far, Tyne chicks left are doing fine. So don't know if the bigger chicks were doing pecking order on younger chicks?
On the second tote, it had to do with suffercating. probably not warm enough, but did move heart to cover them. 3rd tote is unknown, medium tote only containing one breed of 4 chicks. Plenty of room. On that same tote, very soon, down to 2 chicks. One is dying right now. Removed her.
Okay while typing she passed away on me.
Going to remove shavings now.
Again, should I replace bulbs with reg. Light bulbs?

 

[Terri E]

What are you using for bedding? If it's cedar shavings, remove them immediately if not sooner and replace with paper towels until you can get pine.

Your bulb could be one of the ones that lets off the gas that kills chicks.
So no pasty butt? How are they acting up until they die?


Can you take pictures of your setup so we can better visualize what you have going on?

Yes. I do use shavings from TSC. I'll remove them and replace with paper towels.
I always keep an eye out on pasty butted chicks and clean them up. So no losses once and before it starts. As for the light bulbs, I use Brooder lamps and bulbs. Should I replace the bulbs with reg light bulbs?

I am not able to provide pictures. My connection drops a lot, or stalls causing double or triple posts. Even with regular posts.
Update: 3 chicks died. All in different totes. I removed the larger chicks from one tote and so far, Tyne chicks left are doing fine. So don't know if the bigger chicks were doing pecking order on younger chicks?
On the second tote, it had to do with suffercating. probably not warm enough, but did move heart to cover them. 3rd tote is unknown, medium tote only containing one breed of 4 chicks. Plenty of room. On that same tote, very soon, down to 2 chicks. One is dying right now. Removed her.
Okay while typing she passed away on me.
Going to remove shavings now.
Again, should I replace bulbs with reg. Light bulbs?

 

[getaclue]

You said "heat lamp on"...are you heating all those totes with just one heat lamp? Do you have thermometers in each tote to measure the hottest spots in them? What are your hottest temps? Are the chicks getting lethargic?

 

[ShannonR]

Wait, what? You have lids on the totes?
I think that may your problem, right there. Hopefully it will be an easy fix!