New Chick Owner

[daniaaron]

Hi Everyone!
We recently purchased 15 baby chicks! We've lost three. A little background: we have read every book and forum you can think of to research before our purchase a year in advance.
Our brooder is a huge , long, three ring pool. It's a $19.95 wal-mart purchase. Half of the brooder is set up with puppy pads covering the flooring with two waterers (filled with water, a little apple cider vinegar, and save-a-chick), a very small dusting pan (sand and DE), and a 14 hole feeder with crumbled and rooster booster vitamins (correctly measured in ratio). The other half is pine shavings, a thermometer, two perch branches, and hung from our ceiling from an anchor is their heat lamp. It stays at 91-95 and we will move it up next week. They have tons of room to move around to cool off and play.
I change their shavings and puppy pads and water and feed daily!
We have lost three baby chicks so far. They were only a few days old even after I tried to dip their beaks in water when they became lethargic. That seems to be their only symptom is lethargy. Their poop was fine and they were eating, drinking, playing fine within 24 hours of them getting hit hard with lethargy. Is it just an unfortunate thing or should I go ahead and buy corid to be safe?
No blood or runny stools at all. No gasping or panting until their last moments.

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. How high is the light bulb from the chick's heads? Do you have a thermometer under the hottest spot? I would raise the lamp up to get the temps closer to 90. Check for pasty butt daily and clean off as needed. Many chicks transported in the mail will suffer from cold, dehydration, or rough handling. In feed stores they also have been shipped, and may have problems getting enough to eat or drink for various reasons. So about all you can do is use SaveAChick for the first day or so, and dip beaks to food and water to make sure they know how to find it. If they look lethargic, start getting them to drink as often as possible. ACV is not needed, and probably a little irritating when very young. The DE can be harnful to breathe, so I would not use it. Clean water, food, dry bedding and heat is about all they need.
Coccidiosis is not usually a problem until they are about 3 weeks old, so Corid is not necessary.

 

[daniaaron]

Thank you for the warm welcome! Pasty butt is not a problem. It was at first, but with warm water, q-tips, Vaseline, and a blow dryer I nipped it quickly! I do check for that daily! We will go ahead and raise the bulb to cool off a bit more. Is 85 a good number? I will say that the three we received, they were extremely smaller than the others. They ate and drank and played but didn't gain weight like the others have in just a few days we've had them. The others are still alert and doing great. I do change the bedding daily and as well, right after the chick passed.
Y'all!!! Chicks are addicting!!!!!
I'm ready to get them past all of the shock of traveling and get them warmed up to me!
I did go ahead with the corid after talking with a fellow member. I added just a few splashes of the liquid corid into their waterers and took away the acv. Wish me luck!!!!

 

[snow5164]

If they were smaller probably wasn't anything you could have done, the weaker ones just don't survive. Good job in doing your research before you got them, I have a binder with tabs for the issues ( pasty butt, crook neck ) as I experience them so I'll know how to handle it the next time .

Raising a pet is a lot like raising children just when you think you have all the answers they change the question

 

[daniaaron]

What a great idea with the tabs!!!!! I know it's a learning process. No matter how much you think you know a curve ball is always thrown. I know that even the most knowledgeable are at a loss at times! Thank goodness for these forums!

 

[snow5164]

I love your pool, I started in a playpen I had, hope grandchildren don't come soon because I'll never get it clean again!!

I have gotten lots of help from my feed store , I don't have a vet who knows birds near by.
I was just sitting in the snow with my girls and my black /Brown Icelandic shines green in the sun!!! So beautiful!!

It's so nice your children are young and can learn so much from this ,
Good job momma!!