Chicks dying quickly

[angiee91166]

Hi all! Glad this site is out there! I am new to fowl. I have ducks that are thriving at almost 2 weeks old, Guinea keets that are doing well, however, I am having a LOT of trouble keeping chicks alive for the first few days! I have all the types in separate kiddie pools and indoors in a heated room. The bedding in all is pine shavings, which I keep clean. Water and feeder for the chicks are the normal kinds. I feed them chick starter crumbles with grit mixed in. Heater is an infra-red (Brinsea) heat plate set at the lowest level. I watch for pasty butt and clean, as needed. Why are my other fowl thriving but the chicks are not? The chicks are shipped from a hatchery (2 days to delivery) to my post office in ND. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

 

[ChickenLeg]

Ive never used an infra-red heater before, always just a heat lamp. IDK if this could be your issue if its not working properly but if you have a heat lamp you might wanna use it and see if it works better. Just my thoughts

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome!
Don't mix grit with the chick feed! If you offer it at all this early, have it separate.
How about some pictures of your brooder?
Are your chicks using the heat plate? Can they get under it without being trapped?
Do they have lighting during the day? Are they with the other ducks and keets, or in their own brooder?
Mary

 

[angiee91166]

Welcome!
Don't mix grit with the chick feed! If you offer it at all this early, have it separate.
How about some pictures of your brooder?
Are your chicks using the heat plate? Can they get under it without being trapped?
Do they have lighting during the day? Are they with the other ducks and keets, or in their own brooder?
Mary

Hi Mary, they are in their own brooder. However, it does seem that they are getting crushed under the plate. I am thinking, as the other reply suggested, I should use the heat lamp instead? My ducks did fine under the plate, but my Keets are under the lamp and both did fine. Even though my plate is supposed to accommodate up to 15, it DID seem very crowded! Also, they do have light during the day. However, I also have grow lamps in the room that are on most of the time for my plants.

 

[Folly's place]

I used a brooder plate for the first time this summer, with no problems.
Pictures!
Mine was in the shavings, but higher on one side than the other, and not up against a wall, so the chicks could go right through it and not be trapped.
Mary

 

[angiee91166]

 

[angiee91166]

This is the duck brooder, but chick brooder is set up the same way.

 

[FarmerGirl101]

Welcome to BYC! Do they have any symptoms at all?

 

[angiee91166]

Welcome to BYC! Do they have any symptoms at all?

Welcome to BYC! Do they have any symptoms at all?

Welcome to BYC! Do they have any symptoms at all?

Welcome to BYC! Do they have any symptoms at all?

 

[angiee91166]

No symptoms. They were all even vaccinated prior to shipping. The lady at the Post Office where they are delivered, did however, find out the driver was placing them in the back of the COLD truck instead of the cab after I lost ALL of the 1st 2 deliveries! She talked to the driver about the importance of keeping them warm in the cab and the ducks and keets were just fine! Maybe there was a sub driver that did not put them in the cab to stay warm?