Why would 15 healthy chicks just die?

[chickenpal147]

What? I feel like mine is always put so it’s in the 80s for my chicks when they come. If they are cold they will cuddle not fall over and die all of a sudden. That’s so annoying of them! They just went through the mail without any heater! You would easily be able to tell if they were too cold!

Especially if there were 15 of them they would be able to handle 80 just fine. I’ve been doing it that way for years without any problems. Also if they were with a broody hen it’s not always 95 out nor is it really 95 under the hen.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I've never really measured the temps in my brooders. I used a diy MHP. If the chicks are cold, they go under the MHP. If they're too warm, they go to another part of the brooder.

This explanation seems too easy. If they were dying from cold, I imagine you'd find them huddled and probably first thing in the morning because it would be coldest at night.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I've never really measured the temps in my brooders. I used a diy MHP. If the chicks are cold, they go under the MHP. If they're too warm, they go to another part of the brooder.

This explanation seems too easy. If they were dying from cold, I imagine you'd find them huddled and probably first thing in the morning because it would be coldest at night.

X2! I did not even use a thermometer on my newest batch of chicks, now about 5 weeks old. I just watched their behavior and listened to them. If they are cheeping loudly, they are in some kind of distress. If they are huddled together, they are cold. Wings open and panting, too hot. You are an experienced chicken keeper. The hatchery is wrong! You will have to do some sleuthing to figure this out. I wish you luck determining what the culprit is.

 

[-Flash-]

confusing!

 

[chickenpal147]

I did some reading of mcmurray’s reviews and in the last four months several others have had the same issue with chicks from them just out of nowhere dropping dead and being told by mcmurray that it was their fault. So I might have to write a book on their google reviews later.

 

[bruceha2000]

Sounds fishy to me, not sure what would kill them after a week though. I'm sorry you suffered this one time let alone two!

I plan on switching to a different type of heat source depending on what I hear from the hatchery.

Switch to a Mama Heating Pad setup. The whole "95°F for the first week, 90°F for a week, etc" is bull shit. Have you ever seen a hen heat their surroundings to 95°F?? We naively followed that rule with our first 12 chicks in 2012 in a bathtub. I had the heat lamp on a remote reading reptile thermostat. That room was UNBEARABLE! They were moved out to the barn horse stall coop at just under 4 weeks.

What they NEED is a heat source they can go to when they get cold. A hen is best because she moves around with them. MHP is second best. I'm on batch #6 of chicks now and the last 5 have started with MHP in a big cardboard box for the first day and night. If I had a broody hen they were moved out to the coop the next night. One more night inside if no broody and then moved out to the coop with the MHP. All of the chicks saw temps down in the 50's and 60's at night, they just hung under the hen or MHP when they got cold. They never see anything close to 90°F ambient their first month.

I have them on paper towels on newspaper when in the cardboard box, regular shavings in the brooder area of the coop, same shavings as the rest of the floor.

These chicks are 4 days old in the brooder area of the coop, temp out in the barn that day according to a Google search was high 70°F, low 60°F. Notice that they aren't even under the hen


10 days old, movable heat source High that day 75°F, overnight low 45°F.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Sounds fishy to me, not sure what would kill them after a week though. I'm sorry you suffered this one time let alone two!


Switch to a Mama Heating Pad setup. The whole "95°F for the first week, 90°F for a week, etc" is bull shit. Have you ever seen a hen heat their surroundings to 95°F?? We naively followed that rule with our first 12 chicks in 2012 in a bathtub. I had the heat lamp on a remote reading reptile thermostat. That room was UNBEARABLE! They were moved out to the barn horse stall coop at just under 4 weeks.

What they NEED is a heat source they can go to when they get cold. A hen is best because she moves around with them. MHP is second best. I'm on batch #6 of chicks now and the last 5 have started with MHP in a big cardboard box for the first day and night. If I had a broody hen they were moved out to the coop the next night. One more night inside if no broody and then moved out to the coop with the MHP. All of the chicks saw temps down in the 50's and 60's at night, they just hung under the hen or MHP when they got cold. They never see anything close to 90°F ambient their first month.

I have them on paper towels on newspaper when in the cardboard box, regular shavings in the brooder area of the coop, same shavings as the rest of the floor.

These chicks are 4 days old in the brooder area of the coop, temp out in the barn that day according to a Google search was high 70°F, low 60°F. Notice that they aren't even under the hen
View attachment 2842261

10 days old, movable heat source High that day 75°F, overnight low 45°F.
View attachment 2842255

Exactly. I like MHP, too, because they get an actual night (lights aren't on 24/7) and less fire risk. And it worked just as well for my duckies.

Might be time to not order from them for a while. I stopped ordering chicks online after a bad experience. I get mine from feed stores now. But that wouldn't help if there is something inherently wrong with them. They'd still pass after a week since the feed store chicks are shipped, too.

 

[JustBabyMargo]

I did some reading of mcmurray’s reviews and in the last four months several others have had the same issue with chicks from them just out of nowhere dropping dead and being told by mcmurray that it was their fault. So I might have to write a book on their google reviews later.

I received mine the first week of June! When did all of this start??

 

[chickenpal147]

I received mine the first week of June! When did all of this start??

I got the first shipment at the beginning of this month. But all of the reviews that had the same issue said about 4 months ago.

 

[JustBabyMargo]

I got the first shipment at the beginning of this month. But all of the reviews that had the same issue said about 4 months ago.

So maybe I just got lucky!?