Need help quickly. Day old and 2 day old chicks in trouble

[oregonkat]

How far can fumes from a shatterproof heat bulb get do you think. I just realized that my bathroom has one of those heat lamp bulbs in it which I use a lot. The bathroom is right next to where the chicks are. Possible?? Wouldn't they all succumb to this? Silly question??

 

[oregonkat]

The bulb that I am using is a Westinghouse clear incandescent R40 bulb. Used it before with no issues at all, its not one with the shatterproofing finish on it.

 

[WVduckchick]

Good to see you again Kat, sucky circumstances though.

I’m not even sure what else to suggest. I read kinda quickly, assuming the chicks were probably fine now. So I apologize if any of this has already been answered.
Were the hens established layers? Have you or your friend hatched any from the flock before? How about the water? Is your water different than their water? Just throwing out thoughts. ...

 

[oregonkat]

@WVduckchick so happy you chimed in here. You know, the question about the water is an interesting one. I am living in town right now, not at my homestead, and I have noticed that the town water here grows algae really quickly. However, the chick water is fresh several times daily so I cant imagine that there was a problem there. But I dont live in the same town as the egg producer.

As to the laying hens, I have no idea. The one woman has a pretty established hatching egg/chick business with SL Orps, SL Barnies, and a host of others but these two breeds were what I was interested in. Excellent viability on the eggs, 3 died in shell out of 13.
The other girl, just a girl. with a Craigslist ad for hatching eggs. Completely different county from me. Lousy viability with only 4 hatching out of a dozen. Interestingly these chicks seem to be the healthiest.

Never hatched eggs from either person before.

The woman who is getting these chicks has two ANCIENT hens who she is busy feeding for no return other than the love so she wanted some layers. My brooder box was with her for a little while in the hen house but I retrieved it when she said she wanted me to brood the babies for a bit.

Poop seems normal to me. Mostly firm brown with the white top or slightly runny after eating boiled egg yolk. I have no idea what to say. I can only cross my fingers and hope that I do NOT have a repeat of last night. Absolutely soul destroying especially as this is my first hatch in about 18months. Long, long very sad story for another time.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I have the chicks on basic towels now and plain water, chick feed.

I did feed everyone a boiled egg yolk yesterday after the previous day's fiasco and they gobbled it up, but if that was a problem wouldnt everyone be dead??

The last chick that died last night kept pitching himself all over the place, I guess in death throws? So incredibly sad.

How far can fumes from a shatterproof heat bulb get do you think. I just realized that my bathroom has one of those heat lamp bulbs in it which I use a lot. The bathroom is right next to where the chicks are. Possible?? Wouldn't they all succumb to this? Silly question??

Not a silly question about the bulb, but I tend to agree that all would succumb if that were the problem, but...I like to err on the side of caution, so leave the light off.
Are you running any other type of heaters?

Boiled egg, I give my chicks eggs all the time, I don't see how that could be the problem.

Interesting it's just when you uncover the bedding, so your getting rid of that is a good idea.

One other question - they are fine during the day right, it's overnight/early morning when you are noticing them having trouble -do I have that right? If that's the case - what changes at night - heater in the room, using the bulb in the bathroom, etc.?

I'm so so very sorry you are having to go through this. It must be extremely distressing and sad. You are doing all you can, I hope no more die.

 

[oregonkat]

they are fine during the day right, it's overnight/early morning when you are noticing them having trouble -do I have that right? If that's the case - what changes at night - heater in the room, using the bulb in the bathroom, etc.?

Are you running any other type of heaters?

They seemed perfect during the day, I mean typical chicks, haring around, falling down asleep, eating and starting all over. And then I uncovered the bedding. Initially they all seemed fine. They, of course, kicked up the bedding into the waterer but they seemed absolutely normal. Early evening and the hell began.

I have no other heat running. The weather has been glorious here so I havent needed to have the heat on. My boys are famous, however, for leaving the light on in the bathroom so I wonder if that doesnt have something to do with it.

So this starts at the very beginning of my post with everyone behaving drunk. My two last hatchers being the worst, one of which is now dead. (this was the one with the navel issue, which seemed to be drying up fine with no signs of infection). The other chick is now doing fine.
Is the first issue tied to the deaths. Could it have been more than just the heat issue? I did have the shavings exposed when the chicks were first put into the brooder but then they were trying to eat them so I covered them up. Applied heat, everything good..... supposedly!

Why the screaming? Why the seizures, violent and flinging themselves all over the place? I wish, in the hindsight of science, I had videoed it.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

They seemed perfect during the day, I mean typical chicks, haring around, falling down asleep, eating and starting all over. And then I uncovered the bedding. Initially they all seemed fine. They, of course, kicked up the bedding into the waterer but they seemed absolutely normal. Early evening and the hell began.

I have no other heat running. The weather has been glorious here so I havent needed to have the heat on. My boys are famous, however, for leaving the light on in the bathroom so I wonder if that doesnt have something to do with it.

So this starts at the very beginning of my post with everyone behaving drunk. My two last hatchers being the worst, one of which is now dead. (this was the one with the navel issue, which seemed to be drying up fine with no signs of infection). The other chick is now doing fine.
Is the first issue tied to the deaths. Could it have been more than just the heat issue? I did have the shavings exposed when the chicks were first put into the brooder but then they were trying to eat them so I covered them up. Applied heat, everything good..... supposedly!

Why the screaming? Why the seizures, violent and flinging themselves all over the place? I wish, in the hindsight of science, I had videoed it.

I just don't know. It's a mystery.

Getting rid of the shavings, hopefully that fixes it.

 

[oregonkat]

I just don't know. It's a mystery.

Getting rid of the shavings, hopefully that fixes it.

Thanks for all the support. I will report back again if anything further happens, good or bad.

 

[nikolairapunzel]

How are your chicks doing today?

 

[oregonkat]

How are your chicks doing today?

They all seem fine, thank you! Such a weird situation. I went and examined the pine shavings bag at my friends house and could not see anything, but the bag has been in her coop since November and even though it is under cover it is outside so I suppose something nasty could have got into it but why it would not have affected every other chick is a complete mystery to me. Hopefully the rest of the flock will be OK from here on out.