Three batches dead - why???

[birdsrfun]

The coop has three windows - very well ventilated. The first time I now realize I had way too many light bulbs, the second time I had only one, and it was the same one I had been using to raise them indoors. I did check on the toxicity of the bulb.

Even three windows with all that heat sounds like it’s not enough. It depends where the windows are placed. Please send pictures of your coop so we can help you in your design. You don’t need any heat in Portland.

 

[aart]

What exactly does this mean?
Did you heat the whole coop to a certain temp?

Just wanted to add to this....they need a cool place to be.

Here's my notes on chick heat, hope something in there might help:
They need to be pretty warm (~85°-90F/30-32C)on the brooder floor right under the lamp and 10-20 degrees cooler at the other end of brooder) for the first day or two, especially if they have been shipped, until they get to eating, drinking and moving around well. But after that it's best to keep them as cool as possible for optimal feather growth and quicker acclimation to outside temps. A lot of chick illnesses are attributed to too warm of a brooder. I do think it's a good idea to use a thermometer on the floor of the brooder to check the temps, especially when new at brooding, later I still use it but more out of curiosity than need.

The best indicator of heat levels is to watch their behavior:
-If they are huddled/piled up right under the lamp and cheeping very loudly, they are too cold.
-If they are spread out on the absolute edges of the brooder as far from the lamp as possible, panting and/or cheeping very loudly, they are too hot.
-If they sleep around the edge of the lamp calmly just next to each other and spend time running all around the brooder they are juuuust right!

The lamp is best at one end of the brooder with food/water at the other cooler end of the brooder, so they can get away from the heat or be under it as needed. Wattage of 'heat' bulb depends on size of brooder and ambient temperature of room brooder is in. Regular incandescent bulbs can be used, you might not need a 'heat bulb'. If you do use a heat bulb make sure it's specifically for poultry, some heat bulbs for food have teflon coatings that can kill birds. You can get red colored incandescent bulbs at a reptile supply source. A dimmer extension cord is an excellent way to adjust the output of the bulb to change the heat without changing the height of the lamp.

 

[HiEverybirdy]

Oh gosh, that sounds awful. Try a heating plate? Should be a huge improvement, as long as the ambient temperature in the room is in the high 50s or above and you get the right size for the amount of chicks (i.e., size up from what the manufacturer says the plate can accommodate).

 

[Sylla]

What exactly does this mean?
Did you heat the whole coop to a certain temp?

That is a good question. As I recall, I had one heat lamp about 4-5 feet from the ground. The coop is big - I believe I wanted to get the temp. to about 60 degrees. They have plenty of ventilation.

 

[Sylla]

Probably wouldn't hurt to cover up the OSB if you're worried about it but I really think it's the heat... 3 heat lamps? What are your absolute coldest temperatures? I can't imagine needing that amount of heat even for newborn chicks.

At 3 weeks (depending on temperatures of course), your chicks can be weaned off heat already.

Yes, I've already started weaning off the 10 day chicks I have. They are now in heat of about 85 degrees.

 

[aart]

That is a good question. As I recall, I had one heat lamp about 4-5 feet from the ground. The coop is big - I believe I wanted to get the temp. to about 60 degrees. They have plenty of ventilation.

How big is "big".... in feet by feet?
Dimensions and pics would help immensely here.

They are now in heat of about 85 degrees.

Are you measuring this right under the heat lamp?
Are you observing the behaviors I outlined above?

 

[Relleoms]

I second the idea of eliminating the heat lamps and using a heat plate or a mama heating pad. I put week old chicks in the coop with the premier1 heat plate in March (in Iowa, temps below freezing) and they did great. An added bonus is they were able to integrate with the existing flock much more quickly AND by 5 or 6 weeks were roosting with the big girls, no extra heat required.