OK - I need "The Expert's Help" re: discontinuing/altering school hatching projects

[stnkyferit]

Hi all,

I have been posting the past couple of days about my son's school's hatching unit. To make a long story short, last year was the first year in the school, and my mother in law works there. Last year they hatched chicks and a few weren't doing well, and being I just received my baby chicks and had knowledge and supplies, I went to the school to see what I could do. I was very shocked to see that the teachers were not given the proper equipment, specifically heat lamps. They hatch in the incubator, stay there for a little bit (until dry?) and then are moved into a Rubbermaid tote with shavings, food and water....the lamps they DID have were just regular 40 watt light bulbs. Definitely not enough. I don't blame the teachers because they are just doing what is told, but I contacted the Science Department Chair and let her know that the requirements for the babies aren't being met. I think the issue is that "they are fine" if they are running around, so there is no problem. We know that even if a chick makes it through without heat, it wont last much long past the classroom time because they haven't received the right care, and will often die. (The ones that would die in the class were thought to just be "sick", where upon seeing them, I know they are lethargic from lack of heat, and the ones that cant walk have spraddle leg - all preventable situations.)

Anyway....I made my suggestions, and even offered to purchase the correct supplies and do training for the teachers, but I didn't hear anything. They hatched chicks again, and I have been running around like a nut since Monday because, you guessed it, sick chicks. I took one that wouldn't walk and was weak. By the time I got it he/she was 4 days old or so, so the heat lamp coupled with a chick chair and hobbles for the legs were not enough, and it died overnight. I went back on Tuesday to see if any else were in rough shape. They were all running around and looking "fine", but obviously some were stronger than others. I took a strong one and a weak one, and the weak one died. (It was sad, the other chick knew that the one wasn't well, and was actually very sweet towards it. I was worried she would peck it. When the other one died, she screamed her head off....) So that left me with a quandary - the chicks went back to "the farm" they came from or went home with kids, so I had no companions. I contacted "the farm" and they found me a chick. It's older than the classroom one, but they are fine together. I ALSO rush ordered 4 one day old babies (girls) from the place I got mine and I should get them tomorrow, JUST IN CASE one dies, there will not be a lone chick ---- covering all my bases...chicken math, right? LOL

Now this is where I NEED YOU....

I want to provide the district with first hand information from real chicken keeping people. I can give them a book, I can give them a manual, I can even tell them in person, but it hadn't been taken seriously. We cant do this again next year as it is too exhausting emotionally and physically for me - for instance, after the one died early this morning, I had the lone screaming chick sitting on my lap at 4:30am in the morning because it was miserable being by itself.

Can people post below the types of setups you have? If you incubate, that would be even better because the experience is relatable (there have been incubator/hatching deaths that I think could also be prevented). How long have you been hatching chicks? How many do you have now? What would you recommend looking out for the most (pasty butt? spraddle leg? etc)

I would LOVE to print the thread and hand it to the powers that be so that I can try and get things changed....

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

I usually try to do most of my hatching under hens, but I do occasionally break out my incubator
My small, indoor brooder is a 46 gallon Rubbermaid tote (with matching lid). I cut a round hole in the lid (slightly bigger than my heat lamp) and then attached hard ware clothe over the hole- so the lamp can sit on the wire. There's also a hole in the wire so I can feed to lamp thru if it needs to be lowered (in which case I hang the lamp from a chain).
On the opposite end of the tote, there is another large hole in the lid. This ones for ventilation. If I find the brooder isn't warm enough, I drape a towel over it. Just under the vent hole, cut into the side of the tote is a window (my kids love to watch the chicks, of course, the whole point of this thread). I've found a hand towel will cover both the vent hole and window perfectly. All holes are covered with hardware clothe, which I attached with small zip ties (just carefully drilled small holes around the outside of the hole to be covered).
Brooder took me about 15 minutes to make, and cost me less than $10 (I caught the tote on clearance at Walmart). It doesn't work well for a large number of chicks, but I don't expect the babies will be staying in the classroom all that long anyway. You could always get a bigger sized tote, too. I'll go drag it out and take a few pictures as well

 

[stnkyferit]

THANK YOU! I did the same thing with the top of the Rubbermaid! Worked great! Would love to see your pics as well

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Here we go. Its been a great brooder (when I need it ).

 

[stnkyferit]

Bumping for more input! The more the merrier!

Also - got the 4 today from MPC - ADORABLE Wyandottes! Its amazing to REALLY see the difference between chicks with the right setup, and chicks without....the one/two day old chicks are the same size as the 7-10 day old classroom peep....and the ones I was nursing and later died were smaller than she was....she was the healthiest of the group, or so I thought....until I compared her to the babies....hope she doesn't develop any issues....

 

[stnkyferit]

Bump-o-rama!

 

[3riverschick]

Well. Hm... if smell is an issue, a large bag of Sweet PDZ can be purchased and re-bagged in smaller bags for the classrooms. A little goes a long way.
non-toxic I am told if chicks should eat any. Mix a bit with the shavings and it kills the smell. Also buy a bottle of Poultry Nutri-Drench and add to the chicks water at 2cc per gallon. http://www.bovidr.com/poultry.html (turn on sound to hear great audio explanation of product). It is an energy enabler , an Emergency Nutritional Supplement, perfect for stressed chicks(as these obviously are),. Mine get it in their water for the 1st 2 weeks of life. Grows stronger, more robust chicks. Here's another good Brooder from Rocking T Ranch : http://www.poultryhelp.com/brooders.html I love the idea of using an inline lamp dimmer to lower the temperature. Instead of raising or lowering the lamp itself. Also like the plumber's strap for raised legs for the lamp. Get the bulb just a bit further from the wire.
If it is easier for the caretakers, you can use that waffle-weave, non-skid drawer liner for the 1st week before putting in the pine shavings. It can rolled up and discarded every day for easy cleaning. I put several layers of paper towel under my liner. I also use the thicker liner at 2.00 a roll because the chicks tend to roll the thinner liner back on itself so the paper toweling shows. I can't think of any reason the classrooms couldn't use the brown paper toweling they use in the restrooms, can you?
Best,
Karen

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/newestpost/6233

I'm not sure why I didn't post this before, but it has page after page of brooder goodness! I think my blue brooder is in there somewhere too. Enjoy