Help! Our silkie chicks are dying

[TeamV8]

Feel free to point me to a different forum if another one is more fitting but since it's about our baby chicks I'm posting here.

We got 2 silkie chicks this past Saturday, they're a couple weeks old I would guess. They're teeny. Just as with our past chicks I have them in a large Rubbermaid tub in our garage and they have ample food and water. We're in Central Texas where it's hot, I was surprised the lady at the feed store said to be sure I had a heat lamp for them. Since they were in the garage I didn't worry about them getting cold and we don't have a heat lamp so I just kept an eye on them. Sunday night I checked on them and one was lying down, kind of stumbled a bit but did walk around some. I picked her up and she was peeping away. I held her for a bit and offered water but she didn't drink. The next morning she would only lay down and while I was holding her she stopped peeping and I noticed she was completely still. My 8 year old was in tears but the other Silkie seems just fine so we went back to the farm supply and got her another one. Fast forward to yesterday when the same thing happened to the new Silkie I had checked on them and within 2 hours my daughter found the newer one lying down in their box completely still, the original one we got again seems just fine. I did read some on other threads and it seems like maybe heat stroke since one of her her little wings was out and she was lethargic and stumbling but this is strange to me since the lady at the feed store said they needed to be under a heat lamp still. Any ideas? At first I thought they were too cold but maybe now it seems they may be too hot? We keep the garage door open during the day so the air circulates and we keep their food/water full. I know my daughter is going to ask for another one and I'd like to get this figured out before we just end up losing more.

 

[chickenzoo]

Even in the heat I still offer a heat lamp at night until they are fully feathered..Silkies I do even longer.... I just put a lower watt100 or 120 bulb in there and plenty of room to get away from it. Chicks get chilled easy. Also coccidiosis can be a problem with chicks, I always keep Corid from Tractor supply on hand to treat. You might see fluffed up appearance, eyes often shut, weak looking, cheeping often, may see blood in poo. If you have chicks under three months, you need a heat lamp.

 

[RonC]

Chickenzoo is correct. They need an area about 95 degrees the first week lowering that about 5 degrees a week till you get to the lowest ambient temp or they start staying away from the lamp.. Also very important is a cooler area they can get away from the heat so don't try to heat the whole brooder. You may need to put a small fan on the opposite side if it's too warm where they are. The Rubbermaid containers sound like a good idea but are just too small. Find a large box (think refridgerator) to use as a brooder to give them more temperature range. Some use a plastic swimming pool with side added to keep them in. Ideally they will not huddle under the lamp nor at the far end.