Help!
This is the third batch of chicks that I have purchased from a hatchery. I have never purchased from this hatchery before, but this one was recommended by a friend (and leader of our 4H poultry barn). When I ordered, I asked them to hold the chicks and I would pick them up. I don't feel comfortable with mailing chicks in Iowa in February. The day they were to be picked up I received a phone call letting me know the chicks were at my post office. This was Thursday morning, Feb 16. There were 31 of them.
Since I had to work, I took the chicks to my hubby's shop where he watered them and kept them in his office until we got off work. We brought them home right away and put them in our brooder, which is a cardboard box with a heating pad. We've never had a problem raising chicks this way.
The first night we lost 1 chick. No big deal, right? Friday we lost 3-4 more during the day. Lost a couple more that night. Next day I decided they may not be warm enough because they peeped A LOT and huddled on the heating pad so bought a heat lamp to put on them and we put them in our heated shop and bumped the heat up in there a few degrees warmer than the house (we have wood heat for the shop).
Yesterday afternoon we checked on them, three more were falling ill but the others were running around in and out of the heat lamp. A couple of others were laying under the heat lamp so I assumed the heat lamp was set properly. They had plenty of room to get out from under the lamp if they were too hot. I do not have a thermometer in there so I am not sure exactly how warm it is under there. The chicks have always just let me know by huddling and shivering, or staying away from the heat.
This morning my hubby checked on them and there are 6 more that are dead and 2 that look like they are dying. What is going on????
I am feeding non-medicated Home Grown (Purina) chick starter/grower feed. They were vaccinated for Mareks at the hatchery.
Is there any way to test the dead ones to find out what killed them?
The hatchery is getting a phone call first thing Monday morning.
This is the third batch of chicks that I have purchased from a hatchery. I have never purchased from this hatchery before, but this one was recommended by a friend (and leader of our 4H poultry barn). When I ordered, I asked them to hold the chicks and I would pick them up. I don't feel comfortable with mailing chicks in Iowa in February. The day they were to be picked up I received a phone call letting me know the chicks were at my post office. This was Thursday morning, Feb 16. There were 31 of them.
Since I had to work, I took the chicks to my hubby's shop where he watered them and kept them in his office until we got off work. We brought them home right away and put them in our brooder, which is a cardboard box with a heating pad. We've never had a problem raising chicks this way.
The first night we lost 1 chick. No big deal, right? Friday we lost 3-4 more during the day. Lost a couple more that night. Next day I decided they may not be warm enough because they peeped A LOT and huddled on the heating pad so bought a heat lamp to put on them and we put them in our heated shop and bumped the heat up in there a few degrees warmer than the house (we have wood heat for the shop).
Yesterday afternoon we checked on them, three more were falling ill but the others were running around in and out of the heat lamp. A couple of others were laying under the heat lamp so I assumed the heat lamp was set properly. They had plenty of room to get out from under the lamp if they were too hot. I do not have a thermometer in there so I am not sure exactly how warm it is under there. The chicks have always just let me know by huddling and shivering, or staying away from the heat.
This morning my hubby checked on them and there are 6 more that are dead and 2 that look like they are dying. What is going on????
I am feeding non-medicated Home Grown (Purina) chick starter/grower feed. They were vaccinated for Mareks at the hatchery.
Is there any way to test the dead ones to find out what killed them?
The hatchery is getting a phone call first thing Monday morning.
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