Found three dead pullets when I went out to feed this morning.

[eggchel]

I agree with Redfeathers, dont be too hard on yourself, these things happen.

They could have been smothered if others crowded into the nest box on top of them. Piling is often a cause of younger chicks demise but it can still happen to older birds if they are trapped.

Im really sorry.

Chel

 

[lurky]

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I think one would be enough, but put a thermometer in the coop and check on them. You will know if you need the other one.

 

[thechickenchick]

Thank you Lurky! What temp should be safe at this age?

 

[lurky]

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I am not really sure, i would watch them and see if you think they are happy.
Maybe someone on here will read this and know more about it.....but otherwise, i think you will be able to tell if they are cold.

 

[Marlinchaser]

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Most say start at 90-95 and lower the temp 5-7 degrees each week till fully feathered

so 90 to 95 minus 25 to 35 = 55 to 70 if you take either extreme. Your best bet is to hang the heat lamp and let them decide what temp they want. If they are all under lamp lower it so they are warmer, if none are under it raise it so they are cooler. when they no longer are under or near the heat you can go ahead and remove it.

 

[Oblio13]

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That occurred to me, too. The nest box they were in is a wedge-shaped one I made. (Square bottom, two side walls that angle up to a peak.) Maybe it isn't a good design.

 

[SueNH]

It's still way too cold here to put chicks outside without extra heat at night.

We won't be clear of freezing temps until near Memorial Day.

I have a small outhouse shaped coop in a dog kennel near the house that I could put a heat lamp in should I get the urge to order or hatch peeps early. House is tall enough that the chicks can choose the perch level they are comfortable at. Was something I rigged when I got foolish one year and hatched some turkey eggs in late fall. Peeps kept getting bigger and bigger and the weather turned bitter and the cage stinkier and stinkier. They were nearly the size of a full grown laying hen when I finally got the building here and set up.

Building was just above freezing on the floor and toasty 65 degrees on the perches near the lamps. After a few days I was able to let them out a bit each afternoon, chased them back in after a couple hours, before the sun started dropping. Took about a month for them to get used to real winter and they didn't need the lamp after that. Might take a little longer with a chicken. Turkeys are native here and are set up for New England winters.

I've got chicks ordered for the first week of May. I'll be brooding them in the house the first 3 weeks and then moving them to a peep pen. Earlier than that and you wind up having to add supplemental heat.

I do admit it's taking a good deal of self control right now not to fire up the incubator. I think the only thing that is really stopping me is the base to my big house cage is buried in the snow out there someplace. If it were to be found I suspect the incubator would be warming up.

Use two small lamps rather than one large one. Avoids disaster should one bulb blow in the night.

 

[silkiechicken]

Sorry for your loss. My guess is that they smothered rather than chilled. Before turning off the light, did you slowly turn it down and down so they get used to the dark and less heat? I take out heat lamps at about 6 weeks even if it gets down into the 30's at night still. They are put in their grow out pen at like 3 weeks though and the light is changed down slowly so they get used to the new conditions. Better luck next time. It is always the best or the favorites that get done in by bad luck and preds.

 

[littlebanty]

Sorry to hear about your chicks. I have 11 chicks 2 and 3 weeks old. I have them outside now with no lamp and here the other night it got into the low 40's which is very unnormal for this time in Florida. I ended up putting my most trusted hen in the cage with them to keep them warm. It worked. All my hens and ducks are locked up in a shed so that helped also.

 

[Oblio13]

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They were only out for a few sunny hours. At night they're in an ark in a semi-heated garage.

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I wasn't gradual with the lights, I just didn't turn them on one night.

I'm starting to think that they smothered, too, since they were all found in the same nest box.