Stressful start with first time flock

[tpatricco]

Hi -

After spending almost a year on a FB Backyard chicken group, following bloggers, reading books - we were ready to start our own flock. The coop is ordered - and we got our first 6 chicks 10 days ago. They all seemed ok, one in particular was not what I'd describe as lethargic, but was definitely less active than the others. I gave them electrolytes in their water, and medicated feed, kept the brooder warm (maybe too warm?) - that weak chick passed last Wednesday, and then a second one who was seemingly fine we lost on Friday. Definitely feeling disheartened and worried... I did seek advice from my online group - several more seasoned farmers in the group felt the brooder was likely too hot. We've made changes and they seem to be doing better. We decided to get a few more chicks this Saturday to ensure we have a good sized flock we can raise together. So added 6 more for a total of 10. I'm watching them all like a hawk - and more stressed with worry for their well being than I was for my human when he was an infant.

One chick, a Salmon Faverolle who I estimate is probably between 2-3 weeks old is now sneezing and with watery eyes. OMG. I'm terrified for her. I gave some Nutri-drench in their water, and also gave her (and the others) some mashed up hard boiled egg yolks. This morning her eyes were crusty - I swabbed with saline to clean them off - gave her a little Poultry RX and more egg yolk. I'm at work but praying she (and the others) are all ok.

This baby chick raising is not for the faint of heart.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Chicks are incredibly durable and precocious. They don't need all the ambient air to be warm. They need a warm space and lots of cool space so they can find their comfort zone. They also need extreme ventilation. If they don't have lots of fresh air, respiratory issues can arise.

 

[Perris]

this does sound stressful . Sorry I can't help with your issues as I have only ever had broodies raise chicks, but you should be cautious about adding more: unless you quarantine them for at least 2 weeks, every new chick could bring more heartache in the form of infection.

 

[tpatricco]

Thank you! We have already downgraded their heat - I think our brooder is too small and with the Brinsea unit in there it was even more crowded. We switched to a red bulb and have begun to worry less about the 90 degree environment. I think we're going to move them to a bigger space with more ventillation and then will have better room for the Brinsea too. I appreciate understanding about what can cause respiratory distress for them too. Although we're not using any bedding yet - just newspaper with paper towels on top to be non-slip and easy to change out, I think maybe the closed quarters are not so great for them either. I definitely have been "trying too hard" to make things perfect and it's backfiring.

 

[wyoDreamer]

What are you using for a brooder?

 

[danceswithronin]

You sound like me last year when I was raising chicks for the first time, but instead of dealing with losses I ended up having to navigate cannibalism

Thank you! We have already downgraded their heat - I think our brooder is too small and with the Brinsea unit in there it was even more crowded. We switched to a red bulb and have begun to worry less about the 90 degree environment. I think we're going to move them to a bigger space with more ventillation and then will have better room for the Brinsea too. I appreciate understanding about what can cause respiratory distress for them too. Although we're not using any bedding yet - just newspaper with paper towels on top to be non-slip and easy to change out, I think maybe the closed quarters are not so great for them either. I definitely have been "trying too hard" to make things perfect and it's backfiring.

If you are looking for something with good ventilation, I can't recommend these things enough:

Not only are they well ventilated, they are easy to clean, can be zipped up from the sides and the bottom, are collapsible, and even have a handy pocket on the outside to store some treats or something. I have raised two batches of chicks in one of these and I wouldn't swap to anything else.

 

[tpatricco]

What are you using for a brooder?

We built one from a large plastic tote - hardware cloth insert in the lid. We started with a Brinsea ecoglow but switched to a red light bulb this weekend.

 

[tpatricco]

You sound like me last year when I was raising chicks for the first time, but instead of dealing with losses I ended up having to navigate cannibalism...

Not only are they well ventilated, they are easy to clean, can be zipped up from the sides and the bottom, are collapsible, and even have a handy pocket on the outside to store some treats or something. I have raised two batches of chicks in one of these and I wouldn't swap to anything else.

Yikes - that's awful about the cannibalism. I can't even imagine. Fortunately all of mine seem to be getting along ok so far.

 

[aart]

We built one from a large plastic tote - hardware cloth insert in the lid. We started with a Brinsea ecoglow but switched to a red light bulb this weekend.

A tote with a red heat lamp is likely to overheat them.
Get a bigger space and go back to the heat plate.

 

[tpatricco]

A tote with a red heat lamp is likely to overheat them.
Get a bigger space and go back to the heat plate.

Thank you! I think you are right. We're going to move them into a dog crate tonight.