Dropping like flies ! :(

[lemongrass]

I'm sorry to hear that

When did you receive your order? I got an order from McMurray as well and it came (unexpectedly) on Sunday. Maybe they were in transit too long? I don't know what help to offer but I did notice one of my chicks getting a bit weak so I dipped my finger in water and held it in front of the chick so he could peck the water droplet. He seemed parched, so I kept doing it until finally he found out what I was doing and figured out how to drink for himself. He's doing fine now. But I didn't have my chicks immunized, I wonder if its an adverse reaction to that?

As for splitting the brooder between big and little chicks, probably a good idea if the smaller ones are getting bullied. Also, do you give them grit and scratch? I always give mine both before feeding them the regular feed (for only a little before... like a few hours up to 48 hours after birth .. about 24 ish hours after I receive them). Of course, I give them the sugar water first and just that so they drink up!

Good luck... I can't think of anything else

 

[BooBear]

Chicks will let you know if they are too hot or cold. You really only would need one brooder light that should be at least 18" above the floor of the brooder. The standard is at 95 degrees; however, this can still be too hot for some chics. If they sleep on the out skirts of the heat source then the source is too hot. If they pile on top of each other in the center then they are too cold. You want them to sleep spaced out comfortably under the source. Watch their pattern to determine how to adjust the heat source. The guide is to start at 95 degrees but I have noticed that each batch can differ on their comfort. So I like to monitor them to see how they behave to let me know how to adjust it for them.

With just one heat source this allows them to move away after they have warmed up to play at the cooler end of the brooder. When they need to warm up again they will go back under the heat source. (This is how they do when they are with a momma hen).

Yes, plain yogurt. It gives them probiotics that is great for their tummies.

 

[FuzzyButtsFarm]

I am so sorry for your losses.

I hatch my own because of all the horror posts I've read. My breeding stock was from breeders and TSC. After reading this I will never order chicks from a hatchery. If the hatchery doesn't @@@@ up the post office does.

 

[Urbanfarmerkc]

I've had things like that happen to me too. I would guess it is one of two culprits 1. immunization could have weakened them before they were shipped and that combined with the stress of shipping has put them into a "failure to thrive" state. 2. it is too hot in your brooder. It should only be 99 degrees and I keep mine less I like it to be 95 degrees. Are your chick's butts covered in poo? That is a sign of stress... If that is the case, you need to clean that off by putting their butts up to a warm stream of water and slowing and gently working the poo off... That is a HUGE killer of chicks as it causes a back up in poo in their system that poisons them with toxicity.

Also, you should call McMurry and tell them you are having problems. Make sure they know you got this advice OFF of BYC. That way they know you will post if they don't do you right.

Hope this helps.

Dave

 

[roocrazy]

hows there poop...could be coccidiosis

 

[fishboy1]

Ill get some yogurt tomorrow.
The chipmunk colored one is dead. Went really fast. Was fine at dinner this evening then started wobbling. We came back and hour later and had 2 chicks standing on it so it got moved to the shoe box on the other side of the brooder. Was dead 1-2 hours later. Wonder if they beat it up or pecked it to death?

Brooder is a xtra large rubbermaid bin that fills the whole bathtub. Have a light on each end with the shoebox under one light for the weak/sick chicks and another light on the other end. Water and food is in the middle+ separate food/water in the shoebox. Plenty of room for the chicks to spread out and run around. Cool spot in the middle if its too warm on the ends.

We lowered the lights a little to warm the box up more. The chicks are now lying down napping under the light but still somewhat piled up. We had it up around 100-105 with all the lights on this afternoon and the chicks were laying around all over the box. Thought we cooked em but they spooked and scrambled around when I got down near the box.

Should the chicks be lying around on the floor resting? When I checked on them, they were quiet and mostly sleeping. They got spooked and ran around a little then plopped back down. A few stayed up and drank/ate a little.

hmmmm. I had an artificial christmas tree stored in the bin and wiped it out good before converting it to the brooder. Should I have bleached it in case some critter had gotten in the box and left some kind of contamination?

 

[Harvey'sHens]

I had a chick like that last year, lethargic laying flat out only eating or drinking if I made it get up and poked at the feeder, I read something about a vitamin a / d deficiency and gave it some scrambled eggs with cod-liver oil and put the electrolyte mix from mcmurray in their water...she is still with me and just started laying (she was a little slow to develop after that). I think part of my problem was the heat being a bit too high but everyone else did great. I can't believe she made it so it can happen. I made frequent trips to the brooder to "peck" the food and water and wake her and try to get her to eat and drink before laying down again. I had only 5 chicks with lots of space so crowding was not an issue for her.

 

[BooBear]

100 to 105 degrees is too hot. This could be adding to the problem.
The brooder should only be at 95 degrees the first week. Then lower the temp by 5 degrees each week until the brooder is the same temperature as the surrounding air.

 

[drumstick diva]

Fishboy, I really think you should post under Emergencies - you are getting very good advice here but, on ER you will bring in more responders, maybe someone actually having the same problem. You want all the help fast. Are you sure your feed is fresh and not moldy? Some places don't store feed properly and the bags get wet and then mold over. What kind of litter are you using for them?

 

[lemongrass]

I found my chicks this time wanted it way hotter than my last batch, I think they were chilled after shipping (my last batch came straight out of the incubator). But after a day of that I raised the heat lamp to make it a more normal temperature because they were soon sleeping in the area just outside the light instead of under it. Maybe that's why yours were acting colder.