Chicks dying…help!

[Chickandducklover]

Needing help ASAP. Had 8 chicks hatch late last night and today. I’ve let them fluff up in the incubator before moving to brooder. Once in brooder they were fine for a few hours but then I heard lots of peeping. I went to check on them and 5 were laying on their sides just screaming. So far 3 have now died. This also happened with my last hatching and all 7 died over a 2 day period. Before this hatch I cleaned the incubator and brooder with hot soapy (Dawn) water. Any clue what is going on? Why do I keep losing chicks? I hatched 3 incubators of chicks earlier this year (April/May) with no issues.

 

[Banana01]

Do they have a heater? Any food and water being given in the brooder? Might want to post a photo of the brooder.

 

[Chickandducklover]

This time I am using a heat plate for the first time. Previous hatchlings I used a heat lamp.

 

[Yardmom]

Are the eggs from your own flock? Did the chicks go between the heater and food the first few hours?

 

[gimmie birdies]

Wood chips, sorry, not a fan of any kind.

 

[Verbon30]

I lost 5 chicks the first time I tried pine shaving im guessing from the dust. Play sand sould work well for your set up. I know ceder wood chips are looked down on but it's dust free and I been using them for 6 years and rarely have I chick die . Unfortunately my brooder won't handle the weight of sand. Allso you might want make sure your brooder plates is working correctly. I have multiple heat plates just in case one fails. But my brooder is much larger.

 

[Chickandducklover]

They immediately went under the heat plate. I was advised to check the temp under it by using a meat thermometer (I don’t have anything else in the house right now to use). It has showed a constant 92 on the floor underneath. I read online 90-95 is good. I made it through the night only loosing 4 total before bed. So far the rest are doing good but I don’t feel out of the woods yet as last time I had some die on day 3 after hatch. Keeping hopeful though that the rest will be ok.

 

[Chickandducklover]

Oh, sorry. Yes, they are from my own flock.

 

[Chickandducklover]

I lost 5 chicks the first time I tried pine shaving im guessing from the dust. Play sand sould work well for your set up. I know ceder wood chips are looked down on but it's dust free and I been using them for 6 years and rarely have I chick die . Unfortunately my brooder won't handle the weight of sand. Allso you might want make sure your brooder plates is working correctly. I have multiple heat plates just in case one fails. But my brooder is much larger.

Do the chicks and ducklings try and eat the sand since it’s small like the food? And if they do, does it hurt them or work like grit?

 

[Coops Dad]

Try dumping the wood shavings and use newspaper, paper towels or straw. Some wood shavings can offgas and chicks are delicate. You've heard the expression "canary in a coal mine"? Chicks are not that farr off as a barometer of toxins in their environment.