Lost two new chicks.

[slorider18]

We just got some new chicks from our local feed supply. We've ordered from them in the past and didn't have issues but out of the 6 we ordered we've lost 2 in 36 hours. Both seemed fine and declined rapidly. We had a heating pad last year and have a heat lamp this year Could it just be too hot? All the other chicks seem ok. I'm going to add sugar and salt to their water tonight Just had the second one die in my hands. Not a good start to the spring

 

[Zebra and Yolk]

Is it possible maybe the chick was out too long? Also do you have a thermometer? I just had to "put a chick out of it's misery" yesterday because it most likely had Marek's disease. Just keep an eye on the rest, make sure the temperature is 90-95 degrees, check for pasty butt, and signs of Marek's disease which is basically a very contagious disease that paralyses the chick and basically kills them. It spreads very quickly so if you notice any of them showing signs of not eating, drinking, or really moving around much like a silly little chick should, remove it immediately by placing it in a seperate brooder....or what I sadly had to do Best of luck!

 

[chickens really]

Any with pasty butt?

 

[aart]

We just got some new chicks from our local feed supply. We've ordered from them in the past and didn't have issues but out of the 6 we ordered we've lost 2 in 36 hours. Both seemed fine and declined rapidly. We had a heating pad last year and have a heat lamp this year Could it just be too hot? All the other chicks seem ok. I'm going to add sugar and salt to their water tonight Just had the second one die in my hands. Not a good start to the spring

Could have just gotten a bad batch, suffering from shipping stress.

Use Sav-A-Chick electrolytes/vitamins instead of sugar and salt.

Could be too hot, measure temp and brooder floor under lamp and elsewhere(except under pad).

You probably know all this but...
Here's my notes on chick heat, hope something in there might help:
They need to be pretty warm(~85-90F on the brooder floor right under the lamp and 10-20 degrees cooler at the other end of brooder) for the first day or two, especially if they have been shipped, until they get to eating, drinking and moving around well. But after that it's best to keep them as cool as possible for optimal feather growth and quicker acclimation to outside temps. A lot of chick illnesses are attributed to too warm of a brooder. I do think it's a good idea to use a thermometer on the floor of the brooder to check the temps, especially when new at brooding, later I still use it but more out of curiosity than need.


The best indicator of heat levels is to watch their behavior:
-If they are huddled/piled up right under the lamp and cheeping very loudly, they are too cold.
-If they are spread out on the absolute edges of the brooder as far from the lamp as possible, panting and/or cheeping very loudly, they are too hot.
-If they sleep around the edge of the lamp calmly just next to each other and spend time running all around the brooder they are juuuust right!

The lamp is best at one end of the brooder with food/water at the other cooler end of the brooder, so they can get away from the heat or be under it as needed. Wattage of 'heat' bulb depends on size of brooder and ambient temperature of room brooder is in. Regular incandescent bulbs can be used, you might not need a 'heat bulb'. If you do use a heat bulb make sure it's specifically for poultry, some heat bulbs for food have teflon coatings that can kill birds. You can get red colored incandescent bulbs at a reptile supply source. A dimmer extension cord is an excellent way to adjust the output of the bulb to change the heat without changing the height of the lamp.

 

[Kiki]

What is the temperature in the brooder?