"Louisiana "La-yers" Peeps"

[lakones]

Hey!  I pulled some chicks out of the incy and put then into a lit tote-box brooder with shavings (pine) from Tractor Supply and they all started going into seizures within about 5 minutes.  We yanked em out and put them on a towel atop a warm heating pad.  Within an hour they were normal again.  The only thing we figured was that the fumes from the shavings being heated by the lamp caused a neurological reaction.  Very scary! I only use Bermuda hay or corn cob pellets (when they get older) now.  Or if it's warm outside, I will use the shavings, but not with a heat source. 

That's scary. I don't know anything about hatching, but I read a write up once that this guy covers the bottom of the box with chick starter for the first couple of days. That way he knows they have access to the food, it gives a good footing and is fairly absorbant. Don't know if it's a great idea or not, but at least it shouldn't be toxic to them.
Is it a new plastic tote? If so, could the heat be burning off the release agent in the tote?

 

[campingshaws]

Hey!  I pulled some chicks out of the incy and put then into a lit tote-box brooder with shavings (pine) from Tractor Supply and they all started going into seizures within about 5 minutes.  We yanked em out and put them on a towel atop a warm heating pad.  Within an hour they were normal again.  The only thing we figured was that the fumes from the shavings being heated by the lamp caused a neurological reaction.  Very scary! I only use Bermuda hay or corn cob pellets (when they get older) now.  Or if it's warm outside, I will use the shavings, but not with a heat source. 

That's scary. I don't know anything about hatching, but I read a write up once that this guy covers the bottom of the box with chick starter for the first couple of days. That way he knows they have access to the food, it gives a good footing and is fairly absorbant. Don't know if it's a great idea or not, but at least it shouldn't be toxic to them.
Is it a new plastic tote? If so, could the heat be burning off the release agent in the tote?

I use a few layers of paper towels for the first week or so. Then I'll use puppy pads with paper towels on top. Never had any trouble that way.

New tote is a good theory. Mine are all old as dirt.

 

[mixedUPturk]

Hey!  I pulled some chicks out of the incy and put then into a lit tote-box brooder with shavings (pine) from Tractor Supply and they all started going into seizures within about 5 minutes.  We yanked em out and put them on a towel atop a warm heating pad.  Within an hour they were normal again.  The only thing we figured was that the fumes from the shavings being heated by the lamp caused a neurological reaction.  Very scary! I only use Bermuda hay or corn cob pellets (when they get older) now.  Or if it's warm outside, I will use the shavings, but not with a heat source. 

Thanks for this idea! I have worried about Pine, i have, i wont use it for my reptiles at all. I cant think that its a bedding issue tho becuase i have many birds on that same bag of bedding. Lakones and i buy shavings from the same TSC and were having vastly sifferent results also: my bresse are happy and healthy, i need to get new pics of them so yall can see, im loving them as a whole.

That's scary. I don't know anything about hatching, but I read a write up once that this guy covers the bottom of the box with chick starter for the first couple of days. That way he knows they have access to the food, it gives a good footing and is fairly absorbant. Don't know if it's a great idea or not, but at least it shouldn't be toxic to them.
Is it a new plastic tote? If so, could the heat be burning off the release agent in the tote?

my poor friend! Usually i use a simiular approch to the one you described: so that i know theyre not eating bedding. I would put paper feed bags ontop the bedding the first week, i did that with the bresse but not with yours... You see my results.

I use a few layers of paper towels for the first week or so. Then I'll use puppy pads with paper towels on top. Never had any trouble that way.

New tote is a good theory. Mine are all old as dirt.

Im not sure about the new tote plastic theroy becuz ive never looked into it but but i had to say i really like the proccess you use! I was concerend with my first three hatches BUt i dont use a fine bedding-- its flake, and they'll peck at it but theyre too small to eat it.

 

[Cody A]

Meadow.

This reminds me of what I read about using Teflon coated heat lamps. Sounds like a possibility. May want to research this.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ating-teflon-according-to-their-website-toxic

http://www.rootsimple.com/2012/07/teflon-coated-light-bulbs-deadly-to-chickens/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/697072/teflon-coated-lightbulbs-toxic-to-chickens#post_9455913

 

[LemonMeringue]

Hey, it's been a minute since I've had a chance to be here much. Looks like y'all are still some chick hatching addicts.

 

[lakones]

Meadow.

This reminds me of what I read about using Teflon coated heat lamps. Sounds like a possibility. May want to research this.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ating-teflon-according-to-their-website-toxic

http://www.rootsimple.com/2012/07/teflon-coated-light-bulbs-deadly-to-chickens/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/697072/teflon-coated-lightbulbs-toxic-to-chickens#post_9455913

I never thought of light bulbs having a Teflon coating, but I do know that Teflon is extremely toxic to birds. I have an exotic bird in the house that we've had for 17 years. The breeder we bought from warned us about Teflon coated cookware because he knew a breeder that lost her entire flock when a Teflon pan got too hot on the stove. We removed all Teflon coated cookware that day.

 

[lakones]

Hey i totally got you; i realize that without those things i probly spend a lil too much time on critters...
Cool! I still might want a buff roo, once i get the pullets back from my friend and i make sure theyre all pullets

I been busy guys im sorry your lookn at probs Lakones if theres Anything i can do, u know im only a call away. I have no more chicks n the house right now! Its very quite and empty :-/ but thats okay!

Thats an example of the 88 pharroh quail eggs i set... Im only keeping about twenty, the other half the hens are for a friend, the roos are going to make a great dinner

And on a bad note: i lost one of my Isbar chicks, it seemed to have an impacted crop but it went down Really fast, im still looking into it, if anyone has any ideas? The crop wasnt hard, or hot like infection, the chick wasnt cold it was one of the last three runts still Inside until today :-/ there was no rotten odor but he seemed Really skinny and when i massaged his crop it sent liquid out his nose... It sort of sucks a lil extra becuz ive kinda babied the 2 Isbars, and my one runt Bresse hen :-/ havent quite Named them becuz im workin away from that... Toward thicker skin :-/

And i lost four chicks in the shed on the night before last, i believe due to trampling had to add a second bulb in my shed, and @lakones u remmember how Warm that shed was? :-/

Theres no green poop anywhere or anything, no sinus stuff, head shakes... Ive concluded they just got too cold kinda spooky though, so many deaths, in two pens out of six.

I hate to hear that you've lost some. I have a couple extra lights if you need them. I bought them, but don't use them at all.

 

[lakones]

Something got one of my buff babies that are out back with momma. I had to go to town yesterday and when I came back he was no where to be found. I have a feeling it might be a neighbor's cat. Now momma and the other 2 are locked up until I can get them a fenced in area. Momma ain't happy about it either!

 

[Ron Skekel]

Hey!  I pulled some chicks out of the incy and put then into a lit tote-box brooder with shavings (pine) from Tractor Supply and they all started going into seizures within about 5 minutes.  We yanked em out and put them on a towel atop a warm heating pad.  Within an hour they were normal again.  The only thing we figured was that the fumes from the shavings being heated by the lamp caused a neurological reaction.  Very scary! I only use Bermuda hay or corn cob pellets (when they get older) now.  Or if it's warm outside, I will use the shavings, but not with a heat source. 

To those of you losing chicks. They get hypothermia really easy. What may be warm to us isn't warm enough for them especially shortly after hatching. Turk I've found in most my hatches and even shipped chicks I've received there is a runt that doesn't make it. Even when I spend time to keep them alive the eventualy die. I have 2 that did make it and they stay small. They aren't breed quality so they wind up in the egg eating coop. Now I'm just going to let nature take its course. It's hard to see dead chicks but harder to spend the time to baby them and they die anyway. Pam

 

[Ron Skekel]

That's scary. I don't know anything about hatching, but I read a write up once that this guy covers the bottom of the box with chick starter for the first couple of days. That way he knows they have access to the food, it gives a good footing and is fairly absorbant. Don't know if it's a great idea or not, but at least it shouldn't be toxic to them.
Is it a new plastic tote? If so, could the heat be burning off the release agent in the tote?

All shavings are fine except ceder. I think they got taken out the bator too soon and were to cold. Unless you used ceder. I don't know what happenes when you use it but have read not to use them with chickens. Pam