New hatched chicks

[Sefirothe]

Is some loss of new hatched chicks fairly normal?

I set 96 eggs. Around 50 hatched around Jan 20th. Some were culled by me due to either deformity or failure to thrive right out of the incubator. I’ve lost one or two per day in the brooder. I’m down to 42.

Is this fairly normal for quail chicks from shipped eggs? Or do I have something else going on?

Chicks seem active and healthy in the brooder. I’m feeding this Bluebonnet feed:

This is my brooder set up:

The last few chicks I found passed under the heat plate at morning check. I’m assuming it’s been failure to thrive but wanted to double check.

 

[Nabiki]

There's something going on. It's not unusual to lose a couple, but you are losing far more than that.

What is the temperature on the ground under the heat plates?

 

[Sefirothe]

There's something going on. It's not unusual to lose a couple, but you are losing far more than that.

What is the temperature on the ground under the heat plates?

The concrete is probably pretty cold. But I have sheets of 1.5” foam insulation boards under the pen. This morning I used my hand to stir up the shavings under the heat plates to mix in poop. The shavings were appreciably warm to my hand.

 

[Nabiki]

The concrete is probably pretty cold. But I have sheets of 1.5” foam insulation boards under the pen. This morning I used my hand to stir up the shavings under the heat plates to mix in poop. The shavings were appreciably warm to my hand.

You should get a calibrated thermometer under there to check. Newly hatched chicks can be very sensitive to temperature.

 

[Sefirothe]

You should get a calibrated thermometer under there to check. Newly hatched chicks can be very sensitive to temperature.

I tucked one of the incubator hygrometers under the back of the big plate. Giving it some time to equalize but it’s currently reading 85F

 

[Sefirothe]

I was putting feed in two mason jars lids. But I was starting to get worried it wasn’t enough for this many, even refilled multiple times or weaker chicks weren’t able to get to it in time thru the mob. I didn’t think to check the crop on the chicks that passed.

I switched to a regular chick feeder that will hold more food. Just hoping none of the littlest ones try to climb in and get stuck.

The hygrometer under the plate is currently reading 87F too.

 

[Sefirothe]

Hygrometer is currently reading 95F. I think temps are ok.

 

[Nabiki]

I tucked one of the incubator hygrometers under the back of the big plate. Giving it some time to equalize but it’s currently reading 85F

85 and 87 is not warm enough for new chicks. They should start at around 98 on the first day and you can gradually lower the temp as the days pass, but I'm betting that they weren't warm enough.