I have dying baby chicks!

[LarryPQ]

Chicks need 100 degrees for the first week. 95 for weeks 2-3 and then down 5 degrees a week after that.

Your chicks are probably dying because they are too cold.

 

[ProudNewChickenMommy86]

The youngest chicks I have now are almost 4 months old.

 

[ODEY587]

mix some sugar in there water make sure your useing chick grit beacuse if there eating there bedding they wont be able to digest it with grit. you should be useing a heat lamp and reducing the temp 5or so degrees each week. if you have more chicks i would get some tetracycline and put that in there water. hope this helps and good luck!

 

[ProudNewChickenMommy86]

Thank you guys. I'm going to wait a few months for more baby chicks. The place where I get them obviously mis informed me. Does anyone suggest a certain hatchery for my next set, and where I can get the correct information on how to raise my babies. Because I bought everything they said I needed. I'm just now hearing about a brooder. And heat lamp. Now I feel really crappy. I'm never going to that store again!

 

[kellibel9]

your chickens are probably freezing. you have to have a heat lamp. no way around it.

 

[LarryPQ]

You need to do some research on your own. Go to the learning center at the top of the page. You can also check out the various sections of the forum. Many have stickies with great how-to's. GOOD LUCK!

 

[ProudNewChickenMommy86]

thank you.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

To the OP, a brooder is wherever you house chicks before they go outside. It could be a large room, or a cardboard box even. If they are 2 1/2 weeks old when they are dieing then I wouldn't say its from the temp unless it went even lower then 76-78. If they had died from the cold, it would have happened much sooner.

 

[ProudNewChickenMommy86]

Oh I know it didn't get no lower. If anything it got hotter. Cause I dont allow my house to get cold lol. Anything below 78 is pushing it.

I'm comfortable anywhere from 78 to 88. So I dont think it was them getting cold. But the place I bought them from said I only needed a big plastic tub, waterers, feeders, chick starter,.and dye & chem free rat bedding.
And of course chicks. The first 5 I raised did amazing... They are 9 months, 7 months, 5 months, and 3 months almost 4 months old now.

 

[moodlymoo]

I think your temps are just fine. Mine have a heat lamp for about a week at 85 than the brooder goes to about 75 and once the flight feathers come in and a few body feathers show up they get no additional heat. I think it may be where your getting them from. Sanitize everything and start over with chicks from a different location.