Help!

[Jzenyah]

Im a new chick mama. I have large hens, but this is the first time I'm raising babies. I've just lost my fourth one! What am I doing wrong? Their brooder is a large plastic bin, the is a heat lamp, the temp is about 95 degrees, im feeding them chick feed, ive sprinkled grit on the bottom of their bin, ive got 2-3" of pine shavings, the have full access to fresh water and food, i clean those out regularly 2-3 times a day. Am i giving them too much grit maybe, or not enough? Is the start chick feed too big, should i grind it more? I've been reading books and watching videos. I'm not sure, any and all advice would be great!

 

[PennysPlace]

HI there

There are many things that can go wrong. Do they have enough room? I would use less shavings. Chicks are very tiny and chickens are prone to respiratory problems and shavings have a lot of dust. The chick feed should be good and have the grit they need. They need room to run around. Also, it would depend on the breed as some breed's mortality rate are higher than others. Otherwise it sounds like you are taking care of them. Check their poop. If it is too wet there may be something wrong with the water. That is my suggestion. Hope everything works out for you.

 

[Jzenyah]

I think maybe their poop is too solid? Its definitely not like the hens I have outside. Am I giving them too much grit? I just sprinkle it out like salt. Should i give it to them everyday, or every other, or everytime i change the shavings? I will definitely remove some shavings!
Thank you!

 

[PennysPlace]

All I know is when I was raising the chicks I did not give them any grit and they seemed to be fine. Poop not runny is a good sign. They just need to get bigger for the grit. I am not an expert but have been raising day old's for about 4 years. I simply used the store bought chick feed and made sure they had plenty of water, and of course they do love the heat. I hope all turns out well.

 

[Jzenyah]

Thank you so much for your help!!

 

[dragon30276]

ACV in their water helps make poop run smooth and helps eliminate pasty butt. Try a tblsp and a half in a gallon of water.