Sick chicks

[coatsra]

Hello! For some reason my emails weren’t sending me notifications of posts. I just wanted to thank everyone for reaching out to me and trying to figure out what was going on and offering advice: thank yall!!!

So, I ended up separating the older chicks that she had given me. They were jumping all over the place, plummeting the young ones, and I felt like it was stressing out the younger chicks as they were the ones that were dying off quickly. I checked and readjusted lamp position with adequate heat. I have been making sure everything was cleaned and redoing the water with the corid. I had two that started doing the same thing again afternoon yesterday. They kept hiding, hunching, drooped their feathers just like the others before they die. I was more diligent and would give them a drop of the water mix with a small syringe. I made sure to stick with that and still let them rest in between. I was worried we’d wake up to them dead, but we actually woke up to chicks running around eating this morning, yay.

Also, looking into heat plates! I had no idea they existed. It can be so hard to make sure the temp is correct. We were in the 30s at night earlier in the week to today being almost at 85. So, even fluctuations make a huge difference. Thanks for that information as well!

We haven’t had any casualties in 24 hours. I’m hoping it stays this way. You guys are awesome, thank you again for taking the time to try to help me and reach out.

 

[coach723]

So glad things are looking better, I know it's terribly stressful to lose babies. I have a Brinsea Ecoglow brooder heat plate and I love it. I've never had any issues with it and chicks have always done well. I also like that it makes their behavior a little more natural. They will hide under it if scared, just like mom, and they sleep at night just like with a broody, rather than having light around the clock. I've never had chicks burned, like I've heard of from some brands (that might be an anomaly with those, one off), and generally have very little issues with pasty butt, except for shipped chicks sometimes. I have the larger one and the screw in legs are adjustable the full length, which is really nice and easy as they grow. In the beginning I always adjust the back a little lower than the front so it's angled, and they can choose the distance or closeness to the plate that they need. Good luck, and I hope things settle down now.