Looking to raise chickens and build first coop

[KLIL]

Hello from down under Australia and welcome to BYC!
You are going to love it here.

Feel free to pop by and share your daily updates for 2019 with us. We would love to have you join us.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/flock-life-journeys-2019.1286370/

Lovely to meet you and hope to speak more.

 

[robcam817]

Well, today is the big day. Received 15 Australorps in the mail. Much thanks to everyone and all the great advice I received and read. Here's a link to some day 1 vids. I showed them how to drink from the nipple and they're eating like little fiends....;-) They all appear to being healthy and active.

 

[robcam817]

Cleaned a few pasty butts and found one dead chick this AM. Looks like it might have been crushed. I had the heat plate in the corner so I moved it out a ways so there's a way to get under/out from all 4 sides, (hopefully alleviates that issue).

Little ones are already demonstrating distinct personalities....wasn't expecting that. I have one that actually prefers sleeping with my hand over her/him. She always runs over to me first thing when I open the crate door.

One question. A couple chicks seem to have crooked toes, (bent at an odd angle, not straight). Is that normal? Do they grow out of it or will they always be like that?

 

[rjohns39]

Cleaned a few pasty butts and found one dead chick this AM. Looks like it might have been crushed. I had the heat plate in the corner so I moved it out a ways so there's a way to get under/out from all 4 sides, (hopefully alleviates that issue).

Little ones are already demonstrating distinct personalities....wasn't expecting that. I have one that actually prefers sleeping with my hand over her/him. She always runs over to me first thing when I open the crate door.

One question. A couple chicks seem to have crooked toes, (bent at an odd angle, not straight). Is that normal? Do they grow out of it or will they always be like that?

Can you post a pic?

 

[casportpony]

Welcome to BYC!

 

[robcam817]

Found another dead chick this morning. That's the second one and it's only day 3. This one wasn't crushed or anything, just found it laying dead by the feeder. Any ideas?

They all seem very active, eating and drinking. They were all vaccinated and I've been keeping an eye on their butts. They all gather under the heating plate when not eating/drinking and it seems the right height for them.

So if they're all eating, drinking and staying warm, why would one just die?

 

[robcam817]

Welcome to BYC!

Thanks!

 

[rjohns39]

Found another dead chick this morning. That's the second one and it's only day 3. This one wasn't crushed or anything, just found it laying dead by the feeder. Any ideas?

They all seem very active, eating and drinking. They were all vaccinated and I've been keeping an eye on their butts. They all gather under the heating plate when not eating/drinking and it seems the right height for them.

So if they're all eating, drinking and staying warm, why would one just die?

Could be a lot of things. What is the temp in the far side of your brooder? Most hatcheries will refund you for any chicks that don't make it or die within 3 days of receipt.

 

[robcam817]

Can you post a pic?

I can't seem to find any now. So either it was the 2 that died, or they straightened themselves out.

 

[robcam817]

Could be a lot of things. What is the temp in the far side of your brooder? Most hatcheries will refund you for any chicks that don't make it or die within 3 days of receipt.

temp on the far side is 70. Here's a pic of the brooder. The first one I found dead was under the plate but I had the plate pushed into the corner so 2 sides of egress were blocked and I thought maybe she just got crushed.

But today my wife just told me all the chicks seemed to be bullying this one crying chick so she shooed them away and saw no dead chicks so I'm wondering if it was that one.