Couple chicks are very lethargic...EDIT: 4 died...

[Happy Chooks]

Many people find that 95 degrees is way too hot, especially if they start piling on each other. I did. My chicks became lethargic, flopped down, and started cooking, too weak to move away from the heat. Try 90. Use thermometer. The idea that they all are able to move away from too much heat presumes a healthy active chick to begin with. Good luck.

Agreed. My chicks always are the happiest at 85-90.

 

[Jeffross1968]

I've turned it down a bit. I only have one in the ER now, 2 died so far. The final one is perking up a little bit. Just like with the water, I started dipping it's beak in the food. I placed a very shallow small dish with food in the ER tank, and set the bird right in it. Eventually, after a few tries, it started to eat!

We'll see how this goes. All the other ones are very active, eating and drinking.

 

[Jeffross1968]

Well, it looks like the deaths just might end at 2. The third is still isolated, but is eating and drinking on it's own, and moving around a good bit. I figure it took 3 days to put it in bad shape, probably take that long till it's all right again. Going to keep it separate until it's not sleeping so much. The others are crazy active, and I'm afraid it would get trampled. Not sure what we'll do about the cross beak. From what I've read, not much to do, and it's only going to get worse.

So, out of this batch from Ideal, looks like 22 should be good out of the 25. I'm happy with that. Hopefully the next batch from MM in a few weeks works out just as good!

 

[tweetysvoice]

awww.. I hope he/she makes it!

 

[Jeffross1968]

Unfortunately, she didn't, and another just dropped. Now I'm really, really worried.

 

[ChickenPrnces]

Is it really cold there right now???? Curious and comparing to another thread with same issue!

Also - do you have high iron in the water there??

 

[Jeffross1968]

Is it really cold there right now???? Curious and comparing to another thread with same issue!

Also - do you have high iron in the water there??

No, we actually hit the mid 60's today, plus they are brooding in our living room the first couple weeks, like we've always done. It's 70 in the house, and the brooder is right around 90, give or take a degree. That's of course, at the hot spot. We've never had our water checked, but it's the same water we feed all of our adult hens, and the 30ish chicks we've hatched and brooded the same way since September, 5 different hatches. I wouldn't think it's the water, but who knows.

Another reason we're worrying is because we have another 25 coming from MM this time, week of the 20th. Hopefully we're just having bad luck.

 

[ChickenPrnces]

I only ask because my friend and I just got 5 dozen plus chicks from ideal and they are fine! Another person got a set from them sent to Alaska and they keep dying! My friend hatched some a month ago and they kept dying one by one and then she remembered we have high iron around here! She started giving them filtered water and no more died!

 

[Jeffross1968]

Boy, I don't know what to think. I guess if it was an issue we probably would have dealt with this in the past, but except for one or two that had hatching problems and died in the first day, we haven't had issues. How frustrating.

On top of all that, we now have one that has spent the last 20 minutes pacing back and forth at the front of the brooder (we have plexiglass across the front so we can watch them, LOL) and chirping like mad! Only time it will quiet is if we pick it up. I'm lucky I get any sleep....

 

[ChickenPrnces]

That kinda sounds like they are too hot! My brooders usually run about 80 - 85 and I haven't lost a single chick! If they are only quiet when out of the brooder then maybe they are happy to get away from the heat!!!!

How big is the brooder with what watt bulb??