Chicks dropping like flies :(

[Paulup]

I ordered 25 Cornish X from Welp last week, they shipped Wednesday and arrived at my post office Friday at 7am. I picked them up at 7:30 and by 8am they were under their heat lamp at 95* with fresh water and starter feed.

1 was dead in the shipping box, 3 were sickly and died within a couple hours even with water given to them with an eye dropper. I lost one more that night, one this morning and just now found 4 dead and 3 more sickly looking. They just lay around for the most part, I've only seen a few of them eating and drinking. At first they were all under the heat lamp, then they moved to the outer rim of where it shines. Their bedding is 8" of shavings, there is no draft and the temp is holding solid.

Am I doing something wrong, or are my chicks just sick from the hatchery? I've only got one heat lamp, so if I separate the lethargic ones they will surely die, so I don't really know what to do...

 

[ranchhand]

Sounds like they might be too hot. Raise the heat lamp so the temp at chick level is about 85-90F.

It's not really a good idea to give them water with an eyedropper, they might aspirate the water into their lungs. Better to gently pick each one up and barely dip the beak in water. That's future reference for you.

Since they moved away from the lamp, it's almost 100% sure they are too hot. Your thermometer may not be accurate, better to judge by their behaviour.

 

[seminolewind]

I agree, they might be too hot if they move away from the heat lamp. However, they may have been cold stressed during shipping and that will kill them. Chicks are supposed to be kept around 95 degrees the first week of life.