Losing baby chicks, not sure why?

[Lakeside Chicks]

On August 8, 2020 we got 6 baby chicks from a local hatchery (has great reviews from everyone we have talked to). We kept them in the basement of our house in a stock tank about 33 inches in diameter. We used fine pine shavings as their bedding and changed it once a week. We used a feeder meant for baby chicks and kept it stocked with food at all times. We used a bottle with a nipple end and hung it so that they could get water at all times, refilled as needed. We also used 1 heat hut and kept it plugged in at all times. During this time we noticed one of the chicks got injured and the others started pecking at her where the injury was so we separated her for a little over a week while she healed and then reintroduced her to the flock. Things were going well and then 1-2 weeks later (a couple weeks ago) we started losing a chick every couple of days and ended up losing 4 of them while they were still in the basement. The first 1 that we lost we found under the heat hut and we thought maybe she got smothered. Then we started losing more every 2-3 days. They all had mostly feathers at the time as they were roughly 6-7 weeks old. In the middle of all this I started researching and thought that maybe they had contracted cocosidos (I was noticing some darker stools) so headed to our local farm store to get some corid. They were out of corid and it was late so everything else within driving distance was closing. I spoke to someone who worked at the farm store about what was going on and he did not seems to think it was cocosidos and recommended getting rid of the fine pine shavings as bedding (thought maybe they were ingesting it) and replace with the bigger shavings, he also recommended getting rid of the nipple water bottle because he had heard that those were not giving chicks enough water. I found some electrolyte additive while in the store and it thought it might be good to give them some of that so we did. We took the other recommendations under advisement and made adjustments. We then cleaned everything and moved the 2 remaining chicks to the chicken coop and within a day lost 1 of them. It has been almost a week and the other one seems to be doing just fine, stilling eating and drinking and runs to greet us when we open the coop to check on her. We noticed that the ones who passed acted very lethargic a few hours before they passed, falling asleep while they were standing, walking around with eyes closed, not peeping, etc.

That same weekend we moved the first flock out to the coop we decided to go get 11 more baby chicks since we had just lost most of our flock (wanted to get some friends for the remaining chick). I have cleaned everything prior to reusing it with either a vinegar/water mixture or washing it in the sink with dish soap. We also purchased some new food for this batch (medicated food). We also added the electrolyte stuff to their water and have a different watering system as we are not sure the nipple system was giving them enough water the first go round. We are using the bigger pine shavings this time and purchased an additional heat hut since we have more chicks this time. Things were going well until a couple nights ago, we heard one peeping loudly so went to check on them and one (the smallest) was on her back. My daughter picked her up and set her back on her feet, she was shaking so we thought she might be cold so we ushered her under the heat hut. She seemed to be doing better yesterday and today but then we discovered she had died earlier this evening. We found her under the heat hut, nestled (kinda buried) under the pine shavings. The other 10 seem fine, they are eating, drinking, and moving around good. I have no idea if this little one's death is at all related to the first batches or not. I also have no idea why the others died. I did purchase some corid on amazon to have on hand, my question is should I give them some? I was not sure if they are old enough? Also any other suggestions, I just have no idea why we keep losing them and everyone I have spoken to is not sure either. Any clue what is going on, I just don't want to keep losing more, its heart breaking! Thanks for reading and any advice is much appreciated!!

 

[DobieLover]

On August 8, 2020 we got 6 baby chicks from a local hatchery (has great reviews from everyone we have talked to). We kept them in the basement of our house in a stock tank about 33 inches in diameter. We used fine pine shavings as their bedding and changed it once a week. We used a feeder meant for baby chicks and kept it stocked with food at all times. We used a bottle with a nipple end and hung it so that they could get water at all times, refilled as needed. We also used 1 heat hut and kept it plugged in at all times. During this time we noticed one of the chicks got injured and the others started pecking at her where the injury was so we separated her for a little over a week while she healed and then reintroduced her to the flock. Things were going well and then 1-2 weeks later (a couple weeks ago) we started losing a chick every couple of days and ended up losing 4 of them while they were still in the basement. The first 1 that we lost we found under the heat hut and we thought maybe she got smothered. Then we started losing more every 2-3 days. They all had mostly feathers at the time as they were roughly 6-7 weeks old. In the middle of all this I started researching and thought that maybe they had contracted cocosidos (I was noticing some darker stools) so headed to our local farm store to get some corid. They were out of corid and it was late so everything else within driving distance was closing. I spoke to someone who worked at the farm store about what was going on and he did not seems to think it was cocosidos and recommended getting rid of the fine pine shavings as bedding (thought maybe they were ingesting it) and replace with the bigger shavings, he also recommended getting rid of the nipple water bottle because he had heard that those were not giving chicks enough water. I found some electrolyte additive while in the store and it thought it might be good to give them some of that so we did. We took the other recommendations under advisement and made adjustments. We then cleaned everything and moved the 2 remaining chicks to the chicken coop and within a day lost 1 of them. It has been almost a week and the other one seems to be doing just fine, stilling eating and drinking and runs to greet us when we open the coop to check on her. We noticed that the ones who passed acted very lethargic a few hours before they passed, falling asleep while they were standing, walking around with eyes closed, not peeping, etc.

That same weekend we moved the first flock out to the coop we decided to go get 11 more baby chicks since we had just lost most of our flock (wanted to get some friends for the remaining chick). I have cleaned everything prior to reusing it with either a vinegar/water mixture or washing it in the sink with dish soap. We also purchased some new food for this batch (medicated food). We also added the electrolyte stuff to their water and have a different watering system as we are not sure the nipple system was giving them enough water the first go round. We are using the bigger pine shavings this time and purchased an additional heat hut since we have more chicks this time. Things were going well until a couple nights ago, we heard one peeping loudly so went to check on them and one (the smallest) was on her back. My daughter picked her up and set her back on her feet, she was shaking so we thought she might be cold so we ushered her under the heat hut. She seemed to be doing better yesterday and today but then we discovered she had died earlier this evening. We found her under the heat hut, nestled (kinda buried) under the pine shavings. The other 10 seem fine, they are eating, drinking, and moving around good. I have no idea if this little one's death is at all related to the first batches or not. I also have no idea why the others died. I did purchase some corid on amazon to have on hand, my question is should I give them some? I was not sure if they are old enough? Also any other suggestions, I just have no idea why we keep losing them and everyone I have spoken to is not sure either. Any clue what is going on, I just don't want to keep losing more, its heart breaking! Thanks for reading and any advice is much appreciated!!

So sorry for your losses. Losing chicks is hard.
Can you post some pictures of your current brooder as well as the coop where the lone survivor of the first batch is?
I doubt the current batch has coccidiosis if you cleaned the brooder well as they are too young to have contracted it.
Perhaps it's something in the air in your basement.
The reason I ask for pictures of the coop where your lone chick currently resides is that I would move the second batch to the coop and brood them there with their "heat hut", which I am assuming is a brooder plate. You will need to fashion some hardware cloth screening panels (attach some to a wood frame that can be anchored to the walls in the coop) and make a brooder area in the coop so the older chick can see the younger chicks but not get to them.
I disagree about the nipple waterer not giving enough water. I've raised all three batches of chicks using one and use the same vertical nipple waterer for the broodies to use with their chicks until they decide to take them into the flock. They would still go back to the brooder to drink from it until the chicks were big enough to flutter up to the fount water or horizontal nipple waterer to drink.
But you should offer fresh clean water in addition to the electrolyte water.
What brand medicated starter are you feeding?

 

[LaFleche]

Then we started losing more every 2-3 days. They all had mostly feathers at the time as they were roughly 6-7 weeks old

I am sorry your first experience with your chicks went so wrong.

Here some thoughts of what might need some change regarding your set up:


If you kept them in the basement with just the heat hut (= heating plate?) I assume they will have suffered from vitamin D3 deficiency caused by lack of exposure to natural daylight = sun. The maximum time they can be kept in a basement or indoors without exposure to natural sunlight before getting sick would be some 3 weeks. To prevent them from dying due to lack of sunlight you would need a special kind of light bulb like people use for terrariums.

We kept them in the basement of our house in a stock tank about 33 inches in diameter.

This might work for a week but then they will need much more space to move about and get away from the heat plate and each other. Overcrowding leads to aggression and injuries as you already have experienced.

Best wishes for your next chicks.