Chicks dying

[Billylynn]

Received 14 chicks at 8:30 installed in broader. Everyone up and doing fine. Moving around, eating. One by one they are laying down, legs stretch out behind them, and they just gradually fade away.

Temp is around 95. I have refilled food container twice. I have a Mason jar drinking dish and it doesn't seem like they're drinking very much. I'm down to 10.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Way too hot. Lower the temperatures. 85-90. Put some electrolytes or a bit of brown sugar in your water for the first day or so for a quick energy source.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

did you dip their beaks in the water ? What kind of bedding are you using ? Lower temp to 90 for first week then 5 each week after. IE: 85 in a week.

 

[bobbi-j]

Way too hot. Lower the temperatures. 85-90. Put some electrolytes or a bit of brown sugar in your water for the first day or so for a quick energy source.

Also make sure the brooder is big enough that they can get out of the heat if needed. How big is the brooder you're using? What does the brooder look like? How big is the heat lamp you're using? Are they inside your house, or out in a coop? If in a coop, how big is it?

 

[Billylynn]

Also make sure the brooder is big enough that they can get out of the heat if needed. How big is the brooder you're using? What does the brooder look like? How big is the heat lamp you're using? Are they inside your house, or out in a coop? If in a coop, how big is it?

Thanks for your reply...! Broader:Old dog pen, 30x18. Planning to move them to next size dog cage soon...48x30. I put a piece of fabric around the sides to keep out the drafts. The B is in the garage. (No coop) Red rangers, raising for meat. Bedding is pine chips purchased from Tractor Supply. I just added a pinch of brown sugar to half a quart jar. When I set it up the chicks were fascinated by the air bubbles rising to the surface of the water and started drinking. Yeah!

 

[ThatsneakyHen]

Hope the hens are OK, Super sorry for your loss

 

[Billylynn]

Heat lamp. Has a 125 watt red heat bulb. After reading all replies I'll turn it off for awhile until the outside temps begin to cool tonight.

 

[bobbi-j]

Heat lamp. Has a 125 watt red heat bulb. After reading all replies I'll turn it off for awhile until the outside temps begin to cool tonight.

How warm is it during the day?

ETA - Is the garage open, or closed? If closed, you can remove that fabric as it won't be drafty in there in the first place. I'd also move them now to the bigger cage. They like to have room.

 

[Billylynn]

An update. Thanks again for your help. I began to watch the temperature much more closely. Kept it at 85·. Had 3 escapees from the dog cage so that's why I lost them. Switched to a trough.
Kept the trough in the garage and kept monitoring the temp as evenings cooled down. Then it got really hot today, up in the 80's. After moving them around the yard to keep them in the shade all day I gave up and moved them to the basement where the temp is pretty steady at 70. I think it will be easier to increase temp rather than to keep trying to cool things down. So far it's working okay. Except when the crazy things decide to pile onto the thermometer. I'm starting to get how people get hooked on these silly birds.