Silkies dropping like flies - please help 😭

[Eggcessive]

I agree, they need a thermometer and probably less heat. Those red lamps are very hot, especially if inside. Getting too hot causes more pasty butt, and they are spread out with wings apart from body, so may be too warm. At 2.5 weeks, they should have a temp of 80 with a cooler area to escape to if hot. Sorry for your losses.

 

[Friskybinx]

Try soaking the poop butt off with wet, warm paper towels. Wet qtips are ineffective.
After that, it could be neurological, as silkies are prone to those issues.
Or bad genetics.

I always made sure the vent was clear and use the qtip to wet the poo so I could remove it easily. I’m always so afraid to get chicks too wet but always make sure the vent is clear. I will use a paper towel moving forward though

 

[Friskybinx]

I agree, they need a thermometer and probably less heat. Those red lamps are very hot, especially if inside. Getting too hot causes more pasty butt, and they are spread out with wings apart from body, so may be too warm. At 2.5 weeks, they should have a temp of 80 with a cooler area to escape to if hot. Sorry for your losses.

They were hatched on 3/8 so they aren’t quite 2 weeks old yet. I did adjust my heat lamp but they have always had plenty of room to escape heat. The middle of my brooder is 78 degrees and the far end is 70 degrees. I always try to be so careful with making sure there is plenty of different temperature spots so they can find wherever they need to be comfortable.

Could this be what caused them to all just keep dying on me? Would it explain the lethargy, falling over and inability to right themselves? I lost another one this morning and now I’m down to 2.