Chicks Dying- Need advice

[TayandDan]

I will take a photo when I get home of the brooder. I was noticing when I pulled the lamp away or put a lower watt bulb they would all huddle together like they are cold. They have been eating chick starter because that’s what the farm store told us they will eat for the first month. I have also been putting in some lettuce, hard boiled eggs and strawberries for snacks. The only thing they have liked is the hard boiled egg. They have had no other symptoms of sickness. Their stool looks fine and the only time anything seems wrong is when we notice one looking lethargic. The usual temp where I live is 110 in the summer so I thought it wouldn’t be bad to have the temp be 90.

 

[Steven Bussell]

Are you giving them grits? If your getting treats they need grits to help break down the food. I would start giving it right away.
Not saying that why your losing birds .
Taking care of the birds is easy. But things do go wrong. Dealing with them can be a heart beaker

 

[igorsMistress]

I will take a photo when I get home of the brooder. I was noticing when I pulled the lamp away or put a lower watt bulb they would all huddle together like they are cold. They have been eating chick starter because that’s what the farm store told us they will eat for the first month. I have also been putting in some lettuce, hard boiled eggs and strawberries for snacks. The only thing they have liked is the hard boiled egg. They have had no other symptoms of sickness. Their stool looks fine and the only time anything seems wrong is when we notice one looking lethargic. The usual temp where I live is 110 in the summer so I thought it wouldn’t be bad to have the temp be 90.

Eventually they need to adjust to normal temps without the heat lamp. If your bulb is teflon coated that can be the problem. As can not having grit when feeding things other than crumble.

I'm in AZ, you can get chick grit at TSC or Pet Club here. Most feed stores carry grit but chick grit is smaller. If you can't find it you can get regular and smash it up a bit with a hammer.

 

[Unicornlife3316]

They do have a place to get away from the heat. The lamp is only on oneside away from the food and water. They are about two weeks old.

In your original post, you said about 3 weeks ago, you got chicks from TSC. So if they’re between 2-4 weeks old, 90* is too hot. They should be closer to 80-85* and decreasing temp each week by 5 degrees.

Also, as others have said, if they’re getting anything other than chick starter, they need grit, to break down all the treats.

Not saying this is going to stop you from losing any, because sometimes it happens, but it won’t hurt.

 

[Kiki]

Do you have Corid on hand?

 

[UrbanHenKW123]

I'm so sorry you've lost so many of your little chicks. That must be so disheartening.

I'm no expert but there's a few things I know of that could be happening:

- bedding ; what kind of bedding are you using? is it small enough for them to eat? never use cedar in your bedding since it can cause a respiratory infection. I went to TSC the other day to get pine chips and their bedding says "soft wood" and no one could tell me if there was cedar in it. So I went to a feed store instead.
- housing - what kind of housing are you using? was it disinfected before putting the chicks in? what kind of cleaner did you use? you should only be using a vinegar solution or a poultry cleaner or it could hurt the birds
- are you getting the chicks from the same breeder / store? it could be that they are carrying a disease that is making them die
- are you feeding them chick starter? is it medicated? coccidia can be fatal to chicks especially then they're that young. if they were vaccinated don't feed them a medicated feed bc it cancels out the vaccination
- is your feed perhaps moldy or gone bad?
- pasty butt - do they have poop stuck to their vents (bums)? this is very common in early age and needs to be cleaned off or it can be fatal

Hope all of these things help!! keep us updated!

 

[wyoDreamer]

@UrbanHenKW123
Nice post!

 

[UrbanHenKW123]

@UrbanHenKW123
Nice post!

thank you!

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

Please people, don't overdo it with heat! When my newborn hatched, I only kept my 'heat' at 80 degree and nothing more than that for a few days and then just leave things at room temperature...... they don't really need excess heat in my opinion, as long as you yourself is not chilled to the bones, the chickens will be fine! Plus with lower heat it helps them transition better and easier when you wean them off of a heat source.

 

[ValerieJ]

Please people, don't overdo it with heat! When my newborn hatched, I only kept my 'heat' at 80 degree and nothing more than that for a few days and then just leave things at room temperature...... they don't really need excess heat in my opinion, as long as you yourself is not chilled to the bones, the chickens will be fine! Plus with lower heat it helps them transition better and easier when you wean them off of a heat source.

I'm with you on that. I start mine at 98 for a week, then 88 for a week, then 78 for a week. Then I let it get to about 70 and leave it at that. And all that is in one end of the bin, the other end is always about 10 degrees cooler. I don't stop using the heat lamp because my chicks aren't in the house. I raise them in the garage. Sounds to me like OP's keeping them a bit too warm, but I wouldn't think that would be causing the deaths.