Help me keep my hatchlings alive (I've failed at this part in the past)

[bwr719]

I prefer a brooder to big over one too small. I hang my heat lamp 12" high pointing down at a 45 degree angle. This gives a larger heat area with more gradual temp changes as chicks change distances from the light. If you hang light straight down, chicks have a smaller area of heat and it's either in the heat or none at all. I put my water bottle around 18" from the light and feeder on the side. Rarely do I loose a chick. My brooders run outdoors from winter to spring with no adjustments. I don't fumble with reducing temperature. The chicks will move farther away when needed. Good luck

 

[furbabymum]

How did the feeders and waterers make the chicks die?

Well I had a few drown. Then I put marbles in so they couldn't drown. They were scrambling all over it, getting wet and then freezing to death. As newborns I will not do it again. I will use it when they are 2 weeks old at least. It was the small, 1 gallon plastic waterer they were dying in. Not again!

 

[furbabymum]

Are you using chick starter feed? Making sure they have water available at all times? Where are your hatching eggs coming from? What are you using for bedding? What is the temperature in your brooder?

.....just trying to help......

Yes to starter feed. Water is available. I have the lid with some but also have a rabbit water bottle hanging. It's shown some interest in the rabbit bottle so hopefully I can stop the lid soon. Eggs came from a neighbor and are all mixed breed. I've just got paper bags down as bedding for now. Will switch it out later. No idea what my brooder temp is. I have the lamp pointing one direction. So far the chick is laying near the light but not under it (Yes I've still got it in the 10 gallon tank).

 

[MoototheCluck88]

Maybe you should try pebbles. We did that and it worked fine.

 

[chickydee64]

Well I had a few drown. Then I put marbles in so they couldn't drown. They were scrambling all over it, getting wet and then freezing to death. As newborns I will not do it again. I will use it when they are 2 weeks old at least. It was the small, 1 gallon plastic waterer they were dying in. Not again!

HI,
I know the feeling.lost my first Serama chick as a result of drowning................
I use a waterer for quail that screws in a 1 quart canning jar now for the first week or so. They cannot fall in.........
I use plastic lids from peanut butter jars for feeders..............
I agree about the brooder.............I use cardboard boxes.I really like them because I can just throw them away
when they get dirty. Good Luck

 

[AmericanMom]

Well I had a few drown. Then I put marbles in so they couldn't drown. They were scrambling all over it, getting wet and then freezing to death. As newborns I will not do it again. I will use it when they are 2 weeks old at least. It was the small, 1 gallon plastic waterer they were dying in. Not again!

How can they drown in a waterer designed for chicks? I used one like this...

 

[furbabymum]

HI,
I know the feeling.lost my first Serama chick as a result of drowning................
I use a waterer for quail that screws in a 1 quart canning jar now for the first week or so. They cannot fall in.........
I use plastic lids from peanut butter jars for feeders..............
I agree about the brooder.............I use cardboard boxes.I really like them because I can just throw them away
when they get dirty. Good Luck

I have large brooders in my barn. Just 1 chick, this weather and the fact that I have an electrician scheduled for Feb to find out why my outlets stopped working has me not putting the chick outside. Since it is inside it must stay highly secure as I have many massive dogs who would love to snack on it. It's safest where it is right now.

 

[GD91]

Are there anymore pips? Did you move the chick from the 10G aquarium?

As others have stated it will probably be too hot, but I'm sure you've moved it already....

Give them a cardboard box or a rabbit hutch with small wire. Fit the heatlamp so its sturdy & won't fall. Doesn't matter how its done, just make sure it is safe. We used U shaped tacks to nail ours to the roof of a hutch. It was so secure, we couldn't get it off!

As for a waterer & feed, we use jam jar lids (cleaned) during the first week. Then we move them upto the 1 1/2 kilo red & white plastic waterer (there's lots of those & they are pretty cheap). I'm at home all day though & can check our chicks constantly.

I've raised 4 batches - 1 death which was a lone hatcher & was tiny. She passed in the night sadly.

Oh, & the heatlamp should be set just above the chicks height & there should be space to move away from it. The space is important. I read some of your chicks got wet & got cold, it was because your heatlamp may have been too high. Even wet chicks (I've had loads that like to paddle lol) shouldn't get cold, they should just go under the heatlamp & dry & fluff out again.

 

[furbabymum]

Are there anymore pips? Did you move the chick from the 10G aquarium?

As others have stated it will probably be too hot, but I'm sure you've moved it already....

Give them a cardboard box or a rabbit hutch with small wire. Fit the heatlamp so its sturdy & won't fall. Doesn't matter how its done, just make sure it is safe. We used U shaped tacks to nail ours to the roof of a hutch. It was so secure, we couldn't get it off!

As for a waterer & feed, we use jam jar lids (cleaned) during the first week. Then we move them upto the 1 1/2 kilo red & white plastic waterer (there's lots of those & they are pretty cheap). I'm at home all day though & can check our chicks constantly.

I've raised 4 batches - 1 death which was a lone hatcher & was tiny. She passed in the night sadly.

Oh, & the heatlamp should be set just above the chicks height & there should be space to move away from it. The space is important. I read some of your chicks got wet & got cold, it was because your heatlamp may have been too high. Even wet chicks (I've had loads that like to paddle lol) shouldn't get cold, they should just go under the heatlamp & dry & fluff out again.

No other pips. So just the 1 right now. I do have 2 different batches though. I was gathering eggs for my neices science faire project (which is why I'm hatching now when I would usually wait until it was warmer) and my neighbors gave me a dozen eggs for it super early. I didn't have others to put in until 2 weeks later. So the dozen the neighbors gave me are what this chick is from and as I said, I did candle and there were others who apeared ready but must be quitters as no sign of hatch.

My last hatch was late April of last year. We got a blizzard 2 days after the hatch. I had the set up as usual (I've raised many other chicks including ducklings, guineas and peacock chicks) but I think with the blizzard it just wasn't enough. We had the cold deaths, the couple drownings and we also had some got suffocated in the huddle. Out of the 30 chicks I had at the time 1/3 of them died. With the lid as my waterer nothing but feet are getting wet and I feel a lot better about that.

I'll move the chick...I will. I just so hate to. I just feel like if I move it it'll die. I'm scared I suppose. It's just doing so well....... Ok OK I'll put it in the sheep tank brooder in the basement tonight. Pray for it!

 

[MoototheCluck88]

We kept our chicks inside with a heat lamp on them used pebbles in the waterer and gave them chick starter and it worked out great.