Update on sick chicks: what else can I do ?

[BrahmasMama02]

Everyone is alive and well since the incident with those two chicks . The one who got half drowned was brought back to life via nutridrench and heat and is now just as active as the others. I will say I have some suspected cockrels tho

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Everyone is alive and well since the incident with those two chicks . The one who got half drowned was brought back to life via nutridrench and heat and is now just as active as the others. I will say I have some suspected cockrels tho

That's great news!! But don't trade the stress of health for the stress of sexing, LOL!! It's to early. I've always been wrong on my suspects, no joke. I even had a OE with a dot on "her," head and everyone said cockerel, but she lays gorgeous green eggs !!

 

[NatJ]

Everyone is alive and well since the incident with those two chicks . The one who got half drowned was brought back to life via nutridrench and heat and is now just as active as the others. I will say I have some suspected cockrels tho

So everything was fine after they moved to the new brooder? Glad to hear it!

I'm still wondering which detail made the difference, but I suppose we will never know for sure.

You gave them more space (reduce crowding), which also meant more ability to get away from the heat (reduced chance of overheating), and they were out of the plastic tub (possible offgassing/vapors). So that's at least three ways that changing the brooder could have made a difference.

But there is also the possibility that they really did have a disease or a general weakness in some of the chicks, and the change in brooder just happened to line up with the time when all the chicks that were going to die had finished doing it.

 

[BrahmasMama02]

That's great news!! But don't trade the stress of health for the stress of sexing, LOL!! It's to early. I've always been wrong on my suspects, no joke. I even had a OE with a dot on "her," head and everyone said cockerel, but she lays gorgeous green eggs !!

Crossing my fingers for this !! But if one of my chicks is a true midnight majesty Maran then it’s probably a boy due to the white spots of white barring coming in on the top of its wings. It didn’t have a white spot on its head so maybe it’s a mutt or something but I have my eye on it. But yes!
I don’t care if it’s a cockerel at this point . If he is I’ll love him nevertheless and my fiance will have to get over it haha

 

[BrahmasMama02]

So everything was fine after they moved to the new brooder? Glad to hear it!

I'm still wondering which detail made the difference, but I suppose we will never know for sure.

You gave them more space (reduce crowding), which also meant more ability to get away from the heat (reduced chance of overheating), and they were out of the plastic tub (possible offgassing/vapors). So that's at least three ways that changing the brooder could have made a difference.

But there is also the possibility that they really did have a disease or a general weakness in some of the chicks, and the change in brooder just happened to line up with the time when all the chicks that were going to die had finished doing it.

I think it was a mixture of everything lol but I still think the general weakness combined with the crowding and heat was what did them in . I have noticed that some of the chicks prefer to lounge right under the lamp while others prefer to keep a little distance . I guess every chick is different haha . But I’m glad we’ve got it sorted (knock on wood )

 

[NatJ]

I think it was a mixture of everything lol but I still think the general weakness combined with the crowding and heat was what did them in .

That makes as much sense as any other ideas in this case. You could well be right.

I have noticed that some of the chicks prefer to lounge right under the lamp while others prefer to keep a little distance. I guess every chick is different haha.

Yes, they do that. Which means you can have it too hot for some AND too cold for others, all at once! A big brooder does make it much easier to provide a range of temperatures so they can all be comfortable

 

[BrahmasMama02]

Yeah I have this partridge rock chick that she/he will sit directly under the lamp and peck at things around her lazily she’s LAZY and prefers the heat . While one of my grey marans prefers to hang out in the shadow casted by the waterer . At which age can I start cutting off the lamp at night again ?

 

[NatJ]

At which age can I start cutting off the lamp at night again ?

Do they have a brooder plate as well, or just the lamp? What is the temperature in the room?

I would not try to turn the lamp on for the day and off for the night. Instead, when they are old enough to do without the lamp, I would just leave it off. Maybe give them a normal light bulb for light in the daytime without adding heat.

At just about any point, you can try turning off the lamp and see how they act. They will probably be scared of the change and act scared and different, but after a little while they should be either acting normal, or huddling and peeping with cold. Maybe half an hour to see their reaction enough to make a decision, then if you left the light off you could check back every hour or two until you are sure you were right.