Why are my chicks trying to drown themselves!

[21hens-incharge]

Brooder is about 2’6” x 3, heater is in one corner,. Plenty of room to escape the heat, but they only decide to shower at sunset. Thinking they want to get “under” something at sunset.

I tend to let my chicks behavior lead me. Moving away from the heat indicates to warm.

Your brooder is pretty small for a dozen nearly 2 week old chicks. Maybe that is the farthest they can get from the heat.

Generally mine are fully off added heat in spring by 4 weeks old. The temps range from 40's at night to mid 70's during the day when I raise chicks.

 

[Don 27]

You could try placing a chick safe water dish in there instead. I just cut the top off a strong water bottle and cut a small hole near the piece that you removed. Fill the water bottle up with water and place it upside down in a shallow dish ,And it will gravity fill the dish. That way you don't have to buy a chick waterer.

 

[Kiki]

Turn the heat off already...90 is too hot for them.

 

[MissMarple]

I echo that they're too warm. I have three 2 week old chicks in a brooder with no heat and they're perfectly fine (along with ten other chicks who are 5 weeks old. Big brooder) but I have six who are 5 days old and perching to sleep, not trying to be under anything. If your drinker is on the opposite side of your heat source, they're hot and getting away from it as far as they can and at whatever cost (wet feathers).

 

[JuliB]

Correction... these chicks are 8 days old and have been doing the 8pm huddle under a drinker since day five.

For sure it is much hotter over all during the day. This always happens at 8pm, as I am putting my son to bed and the sun goes down.

One end of the brooder is currently 72 and the other (heated) end is 90. They are currently all under the heater, but they are just now drying from their most recent shower.

They have gone under several drinkers. Yes, tonight’s was in the opposite corner from the heat, but only because I removed the other two and added a fountain after the previous two bedtime floods.

I hate to turn heat off while they’re all sleeping there. If anyone is hot, the other end is 72. Will try offering a feather duster in another corner tomorrow... after I find a bigger home, because the corner is soaked where the drinker was. ‍ Maybe time to pull up a stock tank.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Is there more light at the one end coming from a window or another room? They could be trying to stay in the light since your bulb doesn't put off any. Just an idea.