Malfunctioning heating plate?

[Ryooki]

I just lost 2 baby chicks of 4. My first chick seemed to have something wrong with its vent (looked wrong), chirped off and on even when I made it super warm, and died at 3 days old. My second chick just died over night! It was of the same type as the first chick that died, and it always seemed weaker than the other two chicks of a different breed. Yesterday, it seemed tired for the first time. I thought maybe it had just eaten b/c it’s crop felt hard, a little larger than a pea. I gave it some water, and it wasn’t very excited about it. It didn’t complain unless it was alone.

I used my same set up last year without any losses (12 chicks raised in 2 batches including bantams): heating plate in my bathtub on shavings, chick waterer and feeder from rent a coop. Extra little cup for food. Didn’t use an extra cup for water since the chicks could reach the waterer. The heating plate is still warm to the touch, but not unpleasantly so if I touch it. Placing my hand between it and the floor doesn’t seem as warm as I remember, but it’s been a year. The chick that died first complained frequently no matter what I did, and the other chicks seemed fine. The second that died didn’t complain unless it was alone, but was fine when I was holding it. Could my heating plate be malfunctioning and less warm than last year? I did use it outside for my chicks in the fall. Could the elements have made it less effective?

 

[Cazook]

did you check for poopy butt?

 

[Ryooki]

I did. There was a little poop streak on her butt, but not occluding her vent

 

[rosemarythyme]

A heat plate shouldn't need to be THAT hot to be working properly. My heating pad was warm at best last time I used it for brooding, and the chicks were still fine through cooler weather and rain.

The first chick sounded like an unavoidable loss, like something was wrong internally. The second one might've also been weak enough that shipping stress eventually got to it.

Are the surviving chicks active and eating and drinking well?