HELP SAVE ABUSIVE BROODING

[JacinLarkwell]

The brooders are not the problem. If you look at almost any thread about getting chicks they year, you'll see it's shipping stress that is mainly resulting in loss. The brooders are fine, my store is always full of happy chicks.

Yes there are losses but it's mainly when all the chicks are immediately put in the brooders and not watched in the back for a day to allow the weak ones to either get better or die out of the public eye.

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

Everyone is always looking to be a hero these days....... *sigh*.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Isn’t there already a thread on this?

Yeah chicks dying, for any reason, is sad but honestly, chicks died with the other brooders too.

My TSC always had empty and/or clogged up water, food, etc. in at least one bin and they always piled on top of each other under the lamp or tried desperately to get away from it. So neither is ideal. It’s just a matter of which is worse.... having no water or food or being a little colder?

Personally I think having the clean, always full, water is a huge improvement. But I do wish they would lower the heat plates a little bit. I think they are too high up which is the issue. They don’t provide any heat being that high up. But the plates themselves are not the issue. I’ve used them many times without incident. They’re just too high and need to be adjusted.

Our other local store (not a TSC) has similar brooders but they have a heater in the back instead of center and it’s more enclosed. That might be a better option. It’s built in instead of the plates they’re trying to sell. It’s also got more open wire instead of plastic so maybe better ventilation. But otherwise very similar and they’re always healthy and happy there. I think TSC needs to adjust the plates. I only saw the lower brackets on one of the brooders.