Yocelinsaldana06
In the Brooder
- Mar 10, 2025
- 35
- 23
- 41
Okay, so I’ve been raising chicks for almost three years now. My survival rate for my chicks has always been high; I rarely lost a chick in the past 3 years, and I’ve raised so many. I just always put extra time and care into my chicks. But I don’t know where everything went wrong this time. Earlier this year, in February, I raised my first chicks of the year, and everything went perfectly (like always). I raised 21 chicks from day 1, and everybody survived, everyone thrived. I even had one who was weak and was appearing sick, and I managed to save it, too. Then, I hatched an even bigger batch this month, about 32 chicks. I lost five that got weak and died all in the same week, and now I have a few more weak ones. The others died at the beginning of this month, and now, all of a sudden again, I have weak ones, and I don’t know what’s going on. Like I said, I’m usually always good with chicks, I rarely lose any, but this batch has been filled with deaths. I have the heat lamp for the chicks, and some of them just stand under it; they don’t lie under it, they just stand with their heads down, and this gives me the idea that they’re sick. They have the option to walk away if it’s too warm, and they do when they go and drink water or eat (which they’re all doing), but then they go back under. I don’t think they’re cold because 1. The temperature marks 93 degrees and 2. They’re not huddled up together. I also usually have happy, quiet chicks, but these guys are just chirping as if something’s wrong. I clean their brooder every day and make sure it’s clean. I clean their bowls every day, and they have constant access to food and water. They have warmth and an area away from the heat, but still, my chicks don’t seem happy and are just getting weak.
They all eat and drink water, but clearly something is wrong; they’re not as alert or have much interest in doing things like the rest of the chicks.
What can I do differently?? What am I doing wrong?? Like, please, at this point, be brutally honest with me, what am I doing wrong, what do I change??
The only things I can remember that I’m doing differently from my past batches are that these guys are in a smaller brooder, but that’s temporary until the bigger one gets here, and they’re all divided into three different brooders, so they have more room. Another thing is that I’m taking these chicks outside earlier than I have taken out of my past batches, but I only take them out when it’s warm. It’s been very warm here outside lately, usually 80 degrees or a little higher. Another difference is the bedding. I usually use something soft like an old shirt, but this time, I’m using newspaper. Below is a picture of one of the weak ones, and he just looks really bad, not at all like how my healthy chicks look or act.
They all eat and drink water, but clearly something is wrong; they’re not as alert or have much interest in doing things like the rest of the chicks.
What can I do differently?? What am I doing wrong?? Like, please, at this point, be brutally honest with me, what am I doing wrong, what do I change??
The only things I can remember that I’m doing differently from my past batches are that these guys are in a smaller brooder, but that’s temporary until the bigger one gets here, and they’re all divided into three different brooders, so they have more room. Another thing is that I’m taking these chicks outside earlier than I have taken out of my past batches, but I only take them out when it’s warm. It’s been very warm here outside lately, usually 80 degrees or a little higher. Another difference is the bedding. I usually use something soft like an old shirt, but this time, I’m using newspaper. Below is a picture of one of the weak ones, and he just looks really bad, not at all like how my healthy chicks look or act.
