Hatchery chicks keep dying

[infiniti]

Okay..so this is a replacement order from a hatchery. They all arrived in great condition this time and all has gone well for several days. I have them in my large tote-brooder with heat lamp (the temp stays right around 95 degrees) with fresh water with sugar in it (I gave them the Quick Chick the first couple days along with the sugar) and have a pan of dry crumbles and a pan of moistened crumbles in there at all times. Everyone seemed to be eating and drinking well. I did have some "extra" chicks shipped this time and had to move them to another brooder because they were crowding out the other chicks. So far, I have only lost two of these with no outward symptoms. They are find one day, and dead the next. I need help though so I do not lose any more. I got them this past Monday, I lost one Mille on Thursday and one Black Sumatra last night. What am I doing wrong?

 

[Fred's Hens]

Some chicks simply don't survive the shipping process. They fail to thrive and there is no explanation, other than survival of the fittest. Good that you're chicks are eating and drinking.

But, tote's can be notorious for being too hot. My guess is the 95 is simply too hot. Chicks need room to move away from the heat. They also often don't require the temps to be much more than 85-88F, and even less by week 3. If your tote is too hot, holds too much heat, or doesn't provide a cooler area of 70 degree type zones, you might want to try a different, larger brooder next time.

Keep the faith.

 

[Nicole01]

I'm very sorry for your loss.

It could be the stress of the shipment. Bantams seem to be more fragile then the standard. I had a tough time when I first got my d'uccle. She needed the brooder to be warmer(95 degrees or so) , I actually had to warm her in my hands once and she had pasty butt for 2 full weeks.

I start out putting 1ml poly vi sol infant vitamins without iron in their waterer. I sprinkle 1/4 tsp probios in a small dish mixed with wet feed. I haven't lost a chick yet and some were very sick. I give this to all my chicks until they are 3 months old to get a good start in life. You really can tell a difference too.

My neighbor decided to get chicks as well. I told her about the probiotics and vitamins, which I offered to give her some, but she decided not to use until she lost some chicks. I kept using both those products for 3 months and my flock looked much healthier then my neighbors. She quit giving the probiotics and vitamins after her chicks were no longer sick.

I hope you do not lose any more. It's heartbreaking. Good luck.

 

[SpiritedFarm]

Some chicks simply don't survive the shipping process. They fail to thrive and there is no explanation, other than survival of the fittest. Good that you're chicks are eating and drinking.

But, tote's can be notorious for being too hot. My guess is the 95 is simply too hot. Chicks need room to move away from the heat. They also often don't require the temps to be much more than 85-88F, and even less by week 3. If your tote is too hot, holds too much heat, or doesn't provide a cooler area of 70 degree type zones, you might want to try a different, larger brooder next time.

Keep the faith.

I agree on the tote issue, I think this might be a over-heating. In a pinch with chicks this age, you can cut one end off of a couple of cardboard boxes (large ones) and tape the open ends together to make a nice large area for the chicks. I put the light over the center.

The chicks will tell you if the light is too close. They will huddle under it if it's too chilly, and they will stay right away from it if they are too warm. I don;t even keep a thermometer in with them. They are the best indicators.

Good luck with your babes

 

[infiniti]

Thanks for the replies!! I do use the largest tote (with wheels on one end) that I could find. The light is on one end and not the other, so they have a fair amount of distance they can go out of the warmth of they need to. I don't keep the heat lamp pointed directly at the bottom of the tote as it was staying too hot. It's sort of Katty cornered on one side. I did not know to use the vitamins and the probiotics. I will get some first thing tomorrow!! I also have a set of incubated Serama chicks that seem to be doing better than the hatchery chicks. I lost every single one of the precious chipment because they were left on my front porch while we were on Spring Break and they got too cold. I had high hopes for these guys because they were all very active and healthy when I got them in. I just hope to not lose any others!!! I do have one other little mille that doesn't seem to be eating well. The others Crops stay full, but this little one always looks weak. Will the vitamins help that? Do I need to start trying to hand feed him? I don't really know how to hand feed chicks. I have hand reared cockatiels before, but never chicks.
ANy advice is greatly appreciated!!

 

[infiniti]

Ok...so I went and picked up the vitamins, but have to wait on the probiotics till tomorrow. But my question is this: If I am using the quick chick or Save-A-Chick in the water (electrolytes) do I still need to use the vitamins? And do I still need to use the sugar in the water?
Thanks bunches!!

 

[haff]

I got my first batch of chicks a couple weeks, ago, so I am by no means an expert or even remotely close. I also started by brooding them in a tote, and all was going well, but earlier this week my gut told me I should set up something bigger. There was nothing I could point to, but something didnt feel right. So I brought a kiddie pool in and use some of the 48" wide 1/2 inch hardware cloth I'm using to make the coop. I wrapped the outside of the pool with the close and I hold it closed with a single bungie cord. I then set up the lamp at one end of the pool, so right below in the hottest spot its a hair over 95, but the other side of the pool matches the ambient in the room.

I noticed two big things.
1. the chicks are a LOT more active. I thought they were active before, but oh my how they have gone nuts just having a good time.
2. the chicks regularly move into and out of the light zone. And when they move out, they tend to go the coolest spot in the pool.

I have come away with one conclusion.
Even though the tote had a cooler zone, it just wasnt cool enough to let the chicks fully cool down after the sat under the lamp too long. And even though I havent lost any (yet? knock on wood?) my gut tells me I would have if I left them in the tote.