Chicks dying quickly

[FarmerGirl101]

What is the heat as if you have it at the lowest level then it may be too cold? That was my problem with them

 

[angiee91166]

What is the heat as if you have it at the lowest level then it may be too cold? That was my problem with them

A thermometer does not record infra-red correctly. By lowest level, I mean closest to the ground. The plate does not have a temp setting, just 3 height positions. Right now it is about 2-3 inches from the bedding.

 

[FarmerGirl101]

A thermometer does not record infra-red correctly. By lowest level, I mean closest to the ground. The plate does not have a temp setting, just 3 height positions. Right now it is about 2-3 inches from the bedding.

OOOOh! I thought that you were talking about the heat and not the height

 

[3riverschick]

grow lamps. Experts, isn't there something there? Do they block some important vitamins? I remember something long ago. It was when I was raising puppies.
----------------------------------------
Lose the grit. They don't need it until older. Get some Poultry Nutridrench at Tractor Supply or your feed store. give each needy chick one drop by mouth , repeat as needed every 8-10 hours until perky. Put 1 1/2 teaspoons in a quart waterer for the first week of life.
chicks should eat within 6 hours of hatch. because it is taking them 2 days to get to you, they are using their egg yolk sac for energy to live instead of this sac being biologically reserved ( as nature intended) for development of the G.I. tract and myelination of the muscles. Thus your chicks are arriving stressed and literally "out" of nutrition.
The Nutridrench does not need to be digested . thus it does not further stress the rapidly developing G.I. tract. While it helping to jumpstart the G.I. tract and boost the immune system. It is measurable in the bloodstream in minutes and all natural. see their website. http://www.nutridrench.com Also read the poultry testimonial page and the article on the immune system. Read the testimonial by DR. NANCY TRAMMELL, Research Biologist, Cumming, GA on Testimonials page.
The other side of this coin is proper water and heat.
When you have reset their G.I. tract with the drench and a bit of Greek Yogurt and have proper water and heat, you should be ok, failing illness of some kind. make sure you take the yogurt out after about 5 minutes or so it doesn't get spoiled by the heat lamp.
I know it sounds simplistic, however, in the first 2 weeks of life for a chick the thing is to encourage, as much as possible, the height of the villi and the depth of the crypts in the G.I. tract. For me, it is the bottom line which positively effects so many body systems development in the chick.
Best, Karen
and the Light Sussex in western PA, USA,

 

[3riverschick]

So they are just fading away on you? Listless and then just dying? If so, it is because temp and/or lack of "early feeding" has brought their body system past the tipping point where regular feed and heat will reset the stress caused by travel, cold, and lack of early feeding. Then a cascade of body system failure ensues and the chick dies. Regular helps do not work because when this stress sets in like this, the G.I. tract is too stressed to work efficiently. You can give the chick all kinds of helps that need digested but the G.I. tract is too stressed to uptake enough to make a difference. So the body systems fail and the chick dies. This is what the Nutridrench can often stop because it gets to them so fast and without further stressing the G.I. tract because it mainlines directly into the bloodstream without needing digesting. jumpstarting it instead. Just like you would jumpstart your car battery.
Best,
Karen

 

[Mimi13]

Also I noticed you have a towel hanging over the sides of the heat plate. That is not needed at all. The little chicks will run under the plate when cold and then come back out to feed, drink and exercise. As they get a little older you will notice them laying with only their butts under the heat plate and their heads sticking out. It would be best if the plate was higher on one side like Mary said. That way it will accommodate the varying chick sizes as they grow. Also give Nutri Drench as mentioned above. Good luck with your babies.

 

[aart]

Even though my plate is supposed to accommodate up to 15, it DID seem very crowded!

Those plates are marketed as overestimated on capacity as the tiny dollhouse coops.

 

[Folly's place]

x2!
Mary

 

[3riverschick]

aart,
what's the golden eagle badge for? I haven't see it before. Thanks,
Karen

 

[Folly's place]

I just looked it up; it's the new 'Premium Feather Member' sign. For folks who pay extra...
Mary