What are we doing wrong with our chicks?

[2 many chickens]

She said they were Japanese.

Okay thanks

 

[2 many chickens]

A picture of the brooder could be of help.

 

[chickapooo]

I would make it so your brooder has a warm side and a cooler side, so chicks can escape the heat if they need to.
Maybe try something else besides styrofoam if you can.

We had a little cardboard tent on the far side that shades from the heat (and light). Maybe it still isn't enough? Would something better be a wire cage with mesh bottom?
Also, yes that's right, there is a small box in the incubator for the 2 chicks who haven't left it. It's there because I'm afraid they will fall in between the auto egg turning rows and get stuck.

Also, how large is the brooder? If it's too large, the chicks may wander from the heat and chill.

It's about 27.5 by 19 cm (inner edge). We only had 1 chick at a time inside before, because we put each egg in after it got laid. Not sure if we should do this or wait until we collect more eggs, so more hatch at a time instead of one a day.

Can loneliness affect the chicks? I'm just thinking that now that there are these 2 chicks together, they're spending a lot of time next to each other.

I'll post a photo of the brooder shortly.

 

[Quailobsessed]

We had a little cardboard tent on the far side that shades from the heat (and light). Maybe it still isn't enough? Would something better be a wire cage with mesh bottom?
Also, yes that's right, there is a small box in the incubator for the 2 chicks who haven't left it. It's there because I'm afraid they will fall in between the auto egg turning rows and get stuck.


It's about 27.5 by 19 cm (inner edge). We only had 1 chick at a time inside before, because we put each egg in after it got laid. Not sure if we should do this or wait until we collect more eggs, so more hatch at a time instead of one a day.

Can loneliness affect the chicks? I'm just thinking that now that there are these 2 chicks together, they're spending a lot of time next to each other.

I'll post a photo of the brooder shortly.

I wouldn't do a wire cage brooder. I normally use a fish tank or a plastic container.

Chicks can and will get lonely if on their own. I have raised chicks on their own a couple of times, one of them, a king quail chick, thought I was her mother and cried every time my hand left the brooder. I would have to sleep next to the brooder for the first week otherwise she'd cry all night. If you have two together, they should be happy. They will benefit though if they have a mother around (you). I know may sound silly, but I 'cluck' to my chicks when they're hatching, or lonely or when I'm trying to get them to eat. Them hearing their 'mother' gives them a strength and will to survive.

 

[Nabiki]

I agree with the others that said it sounds like they're overheating. Out of my three hatches so far, I've only lost one that I didn't actually cull. I used a 20 gallon fish tank with a heated area at one end. The heated end started at about 35 degrees celsius and the cooler side about 26 degrees. The food and water were kept at the cool end, so they would dash out, eat, drink, then run back to the warm spot. Within a few days, the chicks would spend more time in the cooler areas, and then I would raise the heat lamp to lower the temperature. They were usually down to room temperature within two weeks.