Seems to me that it might be TOO hot. 95 on the floor is not what your looking for. Further if they are in metal trough with a sheet they may not be getting enough air. The air temp would be another issue.
I've had broody hens hatch chicks in the cold and they survived. It seems to me this heat thing is being taken too far. With the sheet it sounds to me like they suffocated. I've had them hatch chicks in the coop when days were dropping below zero.
As for wood chips on the floor. I used paper towels the first few days after hatch. This way I can monitor their poop. I can see if it looks ok and I watch them to see who's pooping.
So this is my advice.
Put the thermometer on the side of the tub at chick level. Not on the floor. Heat rises. Better still if your using a metal tub? Hang it in mid air and get the air temp. That tub will conduct heat making it hotter. Heaven only knows how hot it is at the top. Right now I have the light (250*) hanging indirectly over and between two plastic bins. Temp is 90 at chick level. Sometimes a 250* bulb can be to much. I think it's a racket. I've achieved the right temp with a 100* bulb.
Two. take the sheet off. Your blocking the heat from escaping and the inside AIR temp would be stifling. If the room isnt' drafty then the brooder won't be either. I hang a thermometer on the wall of the room to monitor that too. Right now it's 79-80. (They are in my office).
Three. use paper towels the first few days and watch the poop. I feed ONLY chick starter and water and I see no pasty butt. Rarely. No lettuce or bread or anything else.
Four. watch them to see they are drinking and eating. Medicated food is ok but not necessary. Water should have nothing in it. If you put sugar in it, taste it yourself. If you can taste the sweetness that's just right. I only use sugar a couple of days at them most.
Red lights allow them to get some sleep. I've had two in my first batch of chicks that got droopy. I took them out and put them in a cardboard box with some water and feed and closed it over for a couple of days. Sometimes I think they just need some rest. They came around. Of the 25 chicks I got from Ideal none was lost. They came to me in Feb.
I cut some 2 x 5 1/2 " lumber into 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 pieces to elevate the waterer off the floor so they don't get wood chips in the water and add more blocks as they grow. You can do the same with the feeders. If you use the jar type waterers and feeders.
I've got 25 from PA that I picked up yesterday, in two bins. One side they're laying together toward the heat. The other side they're laying or walking around away from the heat. Who knows why. Both bins are equal distance from the heat source but I'm sure they are fine as long as they aren't on top of one another. The rules say 95 but 93, 92, 90 isn't going to kill them. Don't over do it.
Hope some of this helps.
Rancher (been doing this for over two years and lost only one chick and it was one I hatched in the incubator.)
