Chicks limping, slipping, won’t stop chirping, and only drinks water

[Nicks4eva]

Oh shoot ok there’s one 15 miles from me I’m going to drive over there ASAP! Thanks!!

 

[aart]

it seems to stop chirping in heat

What does your brooder set up look like...pics, please?
What are you using for heat in the brooder?

 

[Nicks4eva]

What does your brooder set up look like...pics, please?
What are you using for heat in the brooder

 

[Nicks4eva]

I am using a heat lamp to keep them warm since then it has quieted the chick down. Haven’t heard a loud chirp in 30-45 minutes.

 

[aart]

Where is their feed and water?
I posted this in your other thread,
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/incubator-as-a-heat-lamp.1341155/
but, here is it again:
Here's my notes on chick heat, hope something in there might help:

They need to be pretty warm(~85-90F on the brooder floor right under the lamp and 10-20 degrees cooler at the other end of brooder) for the first day or two, especially if they have been shipped, until they get to eating, drinking and moving around well. But after that it's best to keep them as cool as possible for optimal feather growth and quicker acclimation to outside temps. A lot of chick illnesses are attributed to too warm of a brooder. I do think it's a good idea to use a thermometer on the floor of the brooder to check the temps, especially when new at brooding, later I still use it but more out of curiosity than need.

The best indicator of heat levels is to watch their behavior:
-If they are huddled/piled up right under the lamp and cheeping very loudly, they are too cold.
-If they are spread out on the absolute edges of the brooder as far from the lamp as possible, panting and/or cheeping very loudly, they are too hot.
-If they sleep around the edge of the lamp calmly just next to each other and spend time running all around the brooder they are juuuust right!

The lamp is best at one end of the brooder with food/water at the other cooler end of the brooder, so they can get away from the heat or be under it as needed. Wattage of 'heat' bulb depends on size of brooder and ambient temperature of room brooder is in. Regular incandescent bulbs can be used, you might not need a 'heat bulb'. If you do use a heat bulb make sure it's specifically for poultry, some heat bulbs for food have teflon coatings that can kill birds. You can get red colored incandescent bulbs at a reptile supply source. A dimmer extension cord is an excellent way to adjust the output of the bulb to change the heat without changing the height of the lamp.


Or you could go with a heat plate, commercially made or DIY: http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/pseudo-brooder-heater-plate

 

[Nicks4eva]

Where is their feed and water?
I posted this in your other thread,
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/incubator-as-a-heat-lamp.1341155/
but, here is it again:
Here's my notes on chick heat, hope something in there might help:

They need to be pretty warm(~85-90F on the brooder floor right under the lamp and 10-20 degrees cooler at the other end of brooder) for the first day or two, especially if they have been shipped, until they get to eating, drinking and moving around well. But after that it's best to keep them as cool as possible for optimal feather growth and quicker acclimation to outside temps. A lot of chick illnesses are attributed to too warm of a brooder. I do think it's a good idea to use a thermometer on the floor of the brooder to check the temps, especially when new at brooding, later I still use it but more out of curiosity than need.

The best indicator of heat levels is to watch their behavior:
-If they are huddled/piled up right under the lamp and cheeping very loudly, they are too cold.
-If they are spread out on the absolute edges of the brooder as far from the lamp as possible, panting and/or cheeping very loudly, they are too hot.
-If they sleep around the edge of the lamp calmly just next to each other and spend time running all around the brooder they are juuuust right!

The lamp is best at one end of the brooder with food/water at the other cooler end of the brooder, so they can get away from the heat or be under it as needed. Wattage of 'heat' bulb depends on size of brooder and ambient temperature of room brooder is in. Regular incandescent bulbs can be used, you might not need a 'heat bulb'. If you do use a heat bulb make sure it's specifically for poultry, some heat bulbs for food have teflon coatings that can kill birds. You can get red colored incandescent bulbs at a reptile supply source. A dimmer extension cord is an excellent way to adjust the output of the bulb to change the heat without changing the height of the lamp.


Or you could go with a heat plate, commercially made or DIY: http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/pseudo-brooder-heater-plate

I took out the feed and water for the picture my apologies they keep falling into the water so I have a bottle cap I’m using. The food is Medicated feed for chicks.

 

[Nicks4eva]

Where is their feed and water?
I posted this in your other thread,
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/incubator-as-a-heat-lamp.1341155/
but, here is it again:
Here's my notes on chick heat, hope something in there might help:

They need to be pretty warm(~85-90F on the brooder floor right under the lamp and 10-20 degrees cooler at the other end of brooder) for the first day or two, especially if they have been shipped, until they get to eating, drinking and moving around well. But after that it's best to keep them as cool as possible for optimal feather growth and quicker acclimation to outside temps. A lot of chick illnesses are attributed to too warm of a brooder. I do think it's a good idea to use a thermometer on the floor of the brooder to check the temps, especially when new at brooding, later I still use it but more out of curiosity than need.

The best indicator of heat levels is to watch their behavior:
-If they are huddled/piled up right under the lamp and cheeping very loudly, they are too cold.
-If they are spread out on the absolute edges of the brooder as far from the lamp as possible, panting and/or cheeping very loudly, they are too hot.
-If they sleep around the edge of the lamp calmly just next to each other and spend time running all around the brooder they are juuuust right!

The lamp is best at one end of the brooder with food/water at the other cooler end of the brooder, so they can get away from the heat or be under it as needed. Wattage of 'heat' bulb depends on size of brooder and ambient temperature of room brooder is in. Regular incandescent bulbs can be used, you might not need a 'heat bulb'. If you do use a heat bulb make sure it's specifically for poultry, some heat bulbs for food have teflon coatings that can kill birds. You can get red colored incandescent bulbs at a reptile supply source. A dimmer extension cord is an excellent way to adjust the output of the bulb to change the heat without changing the height of the lamp.


Or you could go with a heat plate, commercially made or DIY: http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/pseudo-brooder-heater-plate

Also the heat lamp is for reptiles I hope that’s fine. Locally there isn’t any poultry shops I would have to take a couple hour drive to get supplies for chickens (which is no problem) but I hope the reptile one is fine

 

[Nicks4eva]

One last thing I’m pretty sure there is no shatter proof coating which means it doesn’t kill chickens I don’t know how to tel

 

[azygous]

Try putting small pebbles or marbles in the water so the chicks can still walk in it but not end up drowning. The reptile light is safe.

The shatter resistant bulbs are coated with a substance that can produce a gas when heated that can kill chickens. https://www.encapsulite.com/shardguard-safety-coated-a15-a19-a21-par-heat-lamps-p-100828.html and the 250 watt infrared heat bulbs that are teflon coated are to be avoided for chicken use. https://www.ebay.com/itm/250-Watt-H...lear-Teflon-Coated-Shatterproof-/400761243504

Any bulb that does not specify it's shatter resistant or teflon coated is safe for chickens.

 

[aart]

Also the heat lamp is for reptiles I hope that’s fine.

I've used a red incandescent reptile..100W...worked fine.
But use a thermometer to measure the temperate on the floor right under the light and also at the other end of the brooder.