Listless Chicks

[FarmerFranM]

I ordered 12 chicks from Central Tractor that were delivered last Friday. All seem fine. Over the weekend 4 developed "sticky butt", so of course, I've been wiping baby chick hineys for the past few days.
Today is Tuesday, and the chicks seem more sleepy then the past few days, they're sleeping a bunch, at least more than the past few days. They have plenty of water and I keep their feed bowl stocked and clean. They are living in a Rubbermaid tote with a heat lamp set at 95 degrees.
Is their behavior because they are getting settled in or an indication that something else is going on?

Thanks,

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Is your whole brooder 95F?

 

[chickens really]

They can be too warm in a rubber tote. Do they have an area to get away from the heat?..Happy Chicks hop around eating and peeping.

 

[FarmerFranM]

I have a thermometer over the tote. I had moved it the light up and then they started sleeping more. I pointed the lamp over top late yesterday and they seem much more active. Maybe they were just cold.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I have a thermometer over the tote. I had moved it the light up and then they started sleeping more. I pointed the lamp over top late yesterday and they seem much more active. Maybe they were just cold.

It's possible they were too cold - were they peeping a lot and huddling?
Has the pasty butt cleared up?

It's good that they are more active - chicks will take naps during the day, but overall, they should be active, eating/drinking.
Do you have your grow out pen or coop ready for them?

 

[FarmerFranM]

They were laying around in bunches. It's funny, during the day they were sleepy, at night they were active last night. I have a big girl coop ready to go. I live in southern NJ and it's been a typical March, cold and damp, so I'm going to have to keep them in the house until they get full feathers. Right now they have wing tip and tail tip feathers coming in. The sticky butt seems to be under control. I keep checking and only see dirty butts but not sticky.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I would wash up all the butts

Chicks will be active at all hours if you are using a heat lamp - they seem to have a party around 2am. A lot of us use a heating pad to brood chicks, that's something you may want to look into for your next go round.

It's a long thread, but the beginning page gives you the basic concept https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...d-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update.956958/