Newbie_Chicken_Lady
Songster
I agree. The temp needs to be 95 for the first week. They seem to be cold so I would bump it up another 5 degrees to 100 for about an hour then to 95.
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I agree. The temp needs to be 95 for the first week. They seem to be cold so I would bump it up another 5 degrees to 100 for about an hour then to 95.
Temp has been good until I lifted the lamp. I'm waiting to see if they start to behave more normally before putting it back. I havent had this kind of problem with my chicks ever. But, I havent incubated and hatched in this location either so the variables are many. I had a good hatch 14 out of 18 eggs all very healthy chicks. Until now!!This is a bit of a reach, but .... have you been cooking on any teflon pans in the house? I understand it's toxic to birds. Are any of your chicks doing well, or do they all look off?
Typos
Same set up I have used before, but not in about 18 months. They have a heat pad on medium which is on all the time and a white light lamp which was not on all night. I have just noticed that none of them seem to be pooping. The 2 day olds are faring better than the chicks born yesterday but they are behaving just like they are all staggering drunk. One day old is very, very listless and I have her separated out with me. Cocci?
Unmedicated feed. I got the organic feed which I have used before with success, could that be the problem? They have Nutri drench in the water.
unable to stand up, some behaving like they are drunk and one with her wings outstretched and eyes closed
This is such a conundrum. The 2 day olds seem to be better. They have stopped acting like drunken sailors and are behaving like chicks. The day old are lethargic and droopy. I realized that one of the 2 very sick (silver laced barnevelder, if that matters) was my last to hatch yesterday and had a slightly protruding belly button to which I applied some Neosporin (without any 'caines) and called good. The bellybutton is much smaller today and drying up so I assume its fine??? The other very sick is a silver laced orpington and is very weak and sleepy. She'll take vitamin water every now and then, but she is not interested in anything other than sleeping. She isn't getting worse though, so I take that as a good sign, or maybe just hopeful thinking.The Nutri-Drench may be suspect, does it have a date on it?
I would try to get some plain fresh water into them. The acting drunk (all of them) sounds like a toxin, but hard to know.
I agree with @coach723 1-2 day olds are too young for Coccidiosis.
Are they pooping?
I know you've had chickens for a long time and are experienced, sounds like this method is what you normally use with no problems. Ruling out anything "new" or "different" than you have done in the past would be good.
Bedding, feed, location (garage, fumes from car/lawnmower), mold in the brooder, ventilation...just trying to brainstorm.
As this was a slightly staggered hatch, 2 days apart, is there a possibility that the second batch picked up a bacteria from the incubator as the debris from the first hatch was left in there, I removed shells but not the goo???
I have to agree, I cant imagine that a bacteria wouldn't go through them like wildfire.I think any bacteria present in the debris would have affected the 2-day olds as well, since I don't think it could grow that quickly. I've done similar hatches where I only took out shells in between and never had any issues like this.