New chick problems

[subhanalah]

That's great news, Jamie.
As for the person dealing with diarrhea, perhaps it's coccidiosis?

 

[polarbearforge]

Then again, maybe I spoke too soon. There were three dead this evening when I got home.

I'll give another update tomorrow, hopefully without any more casualties.

Jamie

 

[polarbearforge]

Well, I didn't update yesterday, but I did find two more casualties on Friday afternoon.

Nothing more since. They are all moving around and based on the amount of food I've refilled, eating quite heartily.

I've had to clean four pasty bottoms so far, but otherwise, nothing seems wrong.

The survivors from the first batch are doing quite well.

Jamie

 

[rc4u]

just my oinion but I hae never liked those heating plates...its just to small and to small of an area heated..with lights you get more spead out heat and various temps to the chicks self acclimate. I did say just my opinion....jeff

 

[shmccarthy]

I've been having the same issues. I think my chicks got chilled during the shipment which is why I lost so many after they arrived. 29 arrived, 5 were dead and 2 almost dead. I did what I could to try to save the two but with no luck. I have an outdoor brooder 5.5x3 feet and about 3 feet tall. It's insulated, shingled roof, ventilation and a plexiglass viewing window hatch that latches. I have a heat lamp on each end in the back corner so they have a moderate cool area in the middle and a cooler area in the front. I have lost 9 chicks in the 48 hours since I got them. They are running around the brooder, not acting too hot or cold and have been eating or drinking. I have them water with electrolytes when they first arrived and dipped all their beaks. I fed them mashed cooked egg yesterday morning and 2 died since then. They get really sleepy and then just pass. None passed this morning but I have been cleaning some pasty butts. One of the chicks has a slightly prolapsed vent, I think from the other chicks pecking it's behind because of the poo stuck to it. I have been cleaning them religiously and went from 5 pasty butts to 2. I emailed the manager of cackle and explained to her what's going on and hopefully something will come of it. I gave them som ACV in their water this morning so hopefully that'll help clear it up more. I have brooded many chicks and never had losses like this before. Hope you find out what's going on with yours too.

 

[aart]

I've been having the same issues. I think my chicks got chilled during the shipment which is why I lost so many after they arrived. 29 arrived, 5 were dead and 2 almost dead. I did what I could to try to save the two but with no luck. I have an outdoor brooder 5.5x3 feet and about 3 feet tall. It's insulated, shingled roof, ventilation and a plexiglass viewing window hatch that latches. I have a heat lamp on each end in the back corner so they have a moderate cool area in the middle and a cooler area in the front. I have lost 9 chicks in the 48 hours since I got them. They are running around the brooder, not acting too hot or cold and have been eating or drinking. I have them water with electrolytes when they first arrived and dipped all their beaks. I fed them mashed cooked egg yesterday morning and 2 died since then. They get really sleepy and then just pass. None passed this morning but I have been cleaning some pasty butts. One of the chicks has a slightly prolapsed vent, I think from the other chicks pecking it's behind because of the poo stuck to it. I have been cleaning them religiously and went from 5 pasty butts to 2. I emailed the manager of cackle and explained to her what's going on and hopefully something will come of it. I gave them som ACV in their water this morning so hopefully that'll help clear it up more. I have brooded many chicks and never had losses like this before. Hope you find out what's going on with yours too.

Is this the first time you've brooded in the outside brooder?
Do you have enough ventilation?

 

[shmccarthy]

First time in the outdoor brooder, but I've kept the temperature under close surveillance for dys before they arrived. There is ventilation around the top hatch door and on one of the walls. The ventilation hole could be a bit bigger on the one wall, I think.

 

[polarbearforge]

I've been having the same issues. I think my chicks got chilled during the shipment which is why I lost so many after they arrived. 29 arrived, 5 were dead and 2 almost dead. I did what I could to try to save the two but with no luck. I have an outdoor brooder 5.5x3 feet and about 3 feet tall. It's insulated, shingled roof, ventilation and a plexiglass viewing window hatch that latches. I have a heat lamp on each end in the back corner so they have a moderate cool area in the middle and a cooler area in the front. I have lost 9 chicks in the 48 hours since I got them. They are running around the brooder, not acting too hot or cold and have been eating or drinking. I have them water with electrolytes when they first arrived and dipped all their beaks. I fed them mashed cooked egg yesterday morning and 2 died since then. They get really sleepy and then just pass. None passed this morning but I have been cleaning some pasty butts. One of the chicks has a slightly prolapsed vent, I think from the other chicks pecking it's behind because of the poo stuck to it. I have been cleaning them religiously and went from 5 pasty butts to 2. I emailed the manager of cackle and explained to her what's going on and hopefully something will come of it. I gave them som ACV in their water this morning so hopefully that'll help clear it up more. I have brooded many chicks and never had losses like this before. Hope you find out what's going on with yours too.

That sounds very similar. They act sleepy and it's as if they can't properly wake up again. Last time I dipped each chics beak into the water. This time I did it into the grogel. I watched almost every one of them consume some of it.

Mine also did not act as though they were cold. They were running around, going from under the heater to the food, to the water, to wherever.

I just got done checking mine, and I had a couple more pasty butts to clean. I checked everyone of them just to be sure.

Jeff, I know they don't have quite the area of heat that the heat lamps do. I'm a little paranoid about leaving heat lamps on in my front porch (and I'm a blacksmith, a "professional pyromaniac" as a hobby). My other thought with the brooder heaters, is that it is similar to haveing a hen to duck under. Granted, they don't normally have 20 chics running under them.

My plan going forward, is to order again when it's warmer and see if I have the same issues. I am not totally ruling out the cold chilling them at some point. If I order when it's warmer and have the same issues, then I probably won't order from the same hatchery. As a side note, this is a different hatchery than were yours came from.

Jamie

 

[crazyhatch]

Polarbearforage. I was just reading over all the post. You previously mentioned you had your nutrients mixed and ready to go. Not sure what kind you are using but over the years of the different nutrients ive used it was always manufactures recomendation to mix and replace new every 24 hours. It made me wonder if it was pre mixed days before if that has something to do with your problems

 

[Slingha]

Stupid question: do you work with cedar in your shop? Is your brooder cedar? Are you checking daily for pasty butt?

I think it's a heat issue also. When my chicks came in, they needed 105 directly under the lamp. They never moved out from under the heat lamp except to eat and drink. Took them 3 days to take the chill off of them. Now it's down to 90 under the lamp a week later and they are happy chicks.