ROOKY MISTAKE TO SHARE

[rebrascora]

Spilled water is also likely to lead to an outbreak of coccidiosis. I'm not sure whether the OP was specifically losing chicks to drowning, chilling from getting wet or more likely coccidiosis from having a warm damp environment where cocci were thriving. Preventing water spillage is certainly a very important aspect though. I have broody reared chicks so water spillage is less important and much less risk of coccidiosis but I put a mixture of large and small rocks in a plastic tub for chicks to prevent drowning.

 

[AlleysChicks]

I’ve never lost chicks in the brooder. I leave water and food 24/7. I use shavings or straw for bedding in plastic totes. Never had a problem.

Wonder if the towel wicked the water and the chicks got chilled?

 

[SA&P]

I agree with Hamiam - sharing our successes and failures, for the benefit of others is commendable.

I suspend waterers, even if only a centimetre above the ground. I also use nipple waterers attached to small soda bottles.

The nipple waterers sound like a good idea. In my picture (above) the chicks water looks mucky but I changed it twice a day.

 

[wardschickens]

I would like to start working on a plan for an incubator. My hubby gets uptight when I start talking about spending that kind of money on our chickens so I would like to get some great ideas on VERY INEXPENSIVE/YET EFFECTIVE incubators

 

[chickens really]

I only incubate Duck eggs. I never incubate Chicken eggs. I have three Broody Hens and it's so much easier having them do all the work...I have a Broody due Tuesday...Very excited..

 

[The Moonshiner]

Hello I joined today, I named off a ton of stuff I learned on BYC but I would like to share one thing I learned on my own. Three years ago, we bought 12 baby chicks. I lost over half of them. This past spring we bought 3 dozen so when we did raise them and lost them we would still have some left. When I was raising my chicks before they transitioned into the yard I put them in the plastic boxes with towels instead of shavings. I also left the water and food in ALL THE TIME. BIG MISTAKE. Huge!!! A day and a half into it and I already lost three. I thought what am doing wrong and how can I fix it. I looked inside and they ALWAYS spilled the water and food. I thought huh, I will change the towel every morning AND evening reguardless. I will only leave the water n food in for a ONLY few hours during the day. HUGE DIFFERENCE! Everyone flourished after that. No more chicks were lost. I ended up with six roosters and A BUNCH of laying hens now egg gathering time is like an easter egg hunt. Boy if I had known what the key was!! Anyway. I have talked to other newbys since then and come to find out it UNFORTUNATELY isn’t uncommon AT ALL. So please share.

I would have a lot more worry leaving them without water then them drowning in it.
I'm a firm believer of feed and water 24/7 for chicks.
The marbles or pieces of gravel is standard for quail chicks. I would go that right if having drowning issues. When they're living in a heated environment like that water is very important.

 

[Blooie]

I put incubator that’s the same thing as a brooder right?

Welcome to BYC! No, an incubator and a brooder are two different critters. An incubator is where eggs are put to develop and hatch. A brooder is the area where hatched (or shipped) chicks are raised for the first few weeks. It's a good question, and one that has come up before. In the beginning of a new chicken adventure, some of the terminology can sure get confusing! I had the worst time with a few terms myself - coop and nesting box threw me off for the longest time!

A brooder can be as simple as a couple of cardboard boxes taped to together or as elaborate as a permanent built-in area of a coop. You just need food, water, and a heat source.

I also use nipple waterers for chicks. I start with vertical and once I know they understand the concept and can activate the mechanism I change over to horizontal. I'd tend to agree with others....it could well be chilling that took your other chicks, rather than access to food and water. Most folks who brood chicks leave both available at all times. I left it out too, but since my way of raising chicks is radically different than the norm, it was a non-issue....mine go to bed a sundown and sleep all night until sunrise.

So glad you shared your experience here! It and the responses are sure to help other folks!

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

I’ve never lost chicks in the brooder. I leave water and food 24/7. I use shavings or straw for bedding in plastic totes. Never had a problem.

Wonder if the towel wicked the water and the chicks got chilled?

That's a really good thought. Water soaked into a towel would increase it's surface area and evaporation, which sucks a lot of heat out.

 

[debid]

It's sort of like how the rooster crowing at sunrise doesn't actually cause the sun to rise. Just because you removed the food and water for much of the day and the deaths stopped, that doesn't mean having food and water available was the cause of them dying. I hope that you'll do some more reading. There are lots of great books and articles about raising chicks.

 

[Pork Pie]

I would like to start working on a plan for an incubator. My hubby gets uptight when I start talking about spending that kind of money on our chickens so I would like to get some great ideas on VERY INEXPENSIVE/YET EFFECTIVE incubators

This link may help
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threadloom/search?query=home made incubators forum:"11"&tab=618