High chick mortality rate

[zweibucherwurm]

Hi everyone,
I have been keeping chickens for about 4 years, but I've always gotten them as 8-16 week olds. Ive never felt like I had the time or appropriate set up for babies. (6 kids, 3 cats, a dog, and a husband who says chickens are my project so it's fine as long as he doesn't have to deal with them)
This year my local chicken guru said he's gotten so much interest, he doesn't think he would have pullets and recommended I start from chicks so I started researching here.
My setup:
Large carboard box 2.5x3.5x2.5ish with long sides screened. Front solid side opens like a door for access. Mama Heating Pad cave (3 2x4s as back and sides, pad attached to plywood roof) on high heat. Kitchen thermometer under pad said between 85 and 92 degrees. Nipple waterer with 3 nipples, medicated chick food, pine shavings on the floor. It smells good in there.
I got 5 chicks (2 EE, 2 blue Plymouth rocks, 1 Golden comet) on Monday that were less than a week old. Yesterday afternoon the Golden Comet died for no reason that I could tell (clean bum). I had weighed them all in the morning and she was half the weight of the others so thought perhaps she was not figuring out how to drink (though I thought I had seen them all drink) or had some internal issues unknown.
Today one of the blue Plymouth rocks died from pasty butt. She was chirping and cheeping this morning, running around this early afternoon and when I opened the box door (for my 3 year old to pet one) at about 4:30 she (the chick) fell out of the door. I picked her up, saw she was still alive barely, and quickly got a warm wet rag to clean the bum. Her vent was distended and there was tons of poop that I gently squeezed out. Then I got a medicine dropper and gave her some sugar water. She opened her beak and her eyes a few times so I thought she was getting better. Had my daughter (12) heat up a corn bag and continue to give her sugar water while I looked up info here on how to save her. She died a few minutes later.
1) Did I do something wrong?
2) does pasty butt kill that quickly?
3) 2 of 5 seems like high chick loss. How can I prevent this?
4) is there something about my set up that is setting me up for failure?
Thanks!

 

[Will230145]

Whats the temperature, a cold snap could have killed a few? and yes that is a very high mortality rate in my opinion! Ive never had a chick die on me in a Tupperware box and a heat lamp, water and a feeder! Newspaper and bedding.

 

[BaaKaaawk]

So, I've not seen that method of heating before so that is the most suspect for me. I've also not seen that water method before, so again not sure about that one.

I have always used a heat lamp and good old waterer and I have excellent chick survival rates. I hatched 62 this spring and 62 are alive 3 months later. So I'd really be curious if they're getting enough heat and water.

 

[Will230145]

So, I've not seen that method of heating before so that is the most suspect for me. I've also not seen that water method before, so again not sure about that one.

I have always used a heat lamp and good old waterer and I have excellent chick survival rates. I hatched 62 this spring and 62 are alive 3 months later. So I'd really be curious if they're getting enough heat and water.

same here!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Have you confirmed that all the chicks know how to use the nipples? I see them in the photo under it, but are they all drinking without issue?

You've checked to make sure the heat pad doesn't have an auto shut off?

Where were the chicks sourced from originally (from a hatchery, from a local breeder)?

 

[zweibucherwurm]

Have you confirmed that all the chicks know how to use the nipples? I see them in the photo under it, but are they all drinking without issue?

You've checked to make sure the heat pad doesn't have an auto shut off?

Where were the chicks sourced from originally (from a hatchery, from a local breeder)?

The GC is the only one I'm not certain could drink from the nipples (though I thought so at the time). The others I have seen drink just fine. I've only ever used the nipples for my big birds and have seen others use them with chicks successfully.

Yes, the heat pad does Not have an auto shut off. I got the sunbeam one mentioned in other threads/articles about MHP.

I'm not certain where the chicks were from originally. I got them from my local chicken guy. I know he hatches some himself that are not sexed, these were, so I suspect a hatchery and he got them as day olds.

 

[rosemarythyme]

If the surviving chicks can all drink fine, don't see a need to mess with that (otherwise was going to suggest a shallow dish of water as well).

I know pasty butt can be pretty deadly pretty quickly but never had a chick with a serious case of it so not sure how long they can last once they paste up.

Um, let's see... are the chicks vaccinated for coccidiosis and/or are you using medicated feed?

 

[zweibucherwurm]

Whats the temperature, a cold snap could have killed a few? and yes that is a very high mortality rate in my opinion! Ive never had a chick die on me in a Tupperware box and a heat lamp, water and a feeder! Newspaper and bedding.

The temperature outside on Monday was 25. We had them in the converted garage Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Ambient temperature was about 62-68 depending on if we were in there with the space heater. We moved them to an unheated shed Thursday afternoon. Temperature outside was 60. Low was 42 overnight. Under the MHP was toasty warm and they were under it in the morning and overnight, but out doing their chick thing once it warmed a bit.
Used this article and others like it as inspiration for my set up. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...and-start-raising-your-chicks-outdoors.71995/

 

[zweibucherwurm]

If the surviving chicks can all drink fine, don't see a need to mess with that (otherwise was going to suggest a shallow dish of water as well).

I know pasty butt can be pretty deadly pretty quickly but never had a chick with a serious case of it so not sure how long they can last once they paste up.

Um, let's see... are the chicks vaccinated for coccidiosis and/or are you using medicated feed?

I'm using medicated feed.
The pasty butt was sad... she was still alive when I started working on it, but didn't make it.