Why would 15 healthy chicks just die?

[McChooky]

Am I the only one hearing you say you have raised chicks at this time of year before, using this SAME setup, and this SAME lamp, more than once, with NO LOSSES? Yet everyone seems to be telling you that your problem is that your tote is too small, the sides are too tall, and you overheated your chicks, etc. If what I am hearing you say is correct, that nothing in your setup is different, and you have raised chicks this way successfully in the past, then there HAS to be another reason your chicks died, in my opinion, and this is not your fault. I don't know the answer, but there has to be something other than your setup.

She raised them inside just like them when the house wasn't hot. She freely has tried to explain that she's only gotten these chicks late in the year because whe had to wait on the specific breed.New hatched chicks need heat and hers aren't going under the light.They pant and she takes them to another room to cool off.She's even taken chicks outside and left them all day without heat in 80 degree weather to let Ambient temperatures warm the chicks.If exposed to too much cold or heat the combination can overwhelm them and cause them to die.

 

[chickenpal147]

She raised them inside just like them when the house wasn't hot. She freely has tried to explain that she's only gotten these chicks late in the year because whe had to wait on the specific breed.New hatched chicks need heat and hers aren't going under the light.They pant and she takes them to another room to cool off.She's even taken chicks outside and left them all day without heat in 80 degree weather to let Ambient temperatures warm the chicks.If exposed to too much cold or heat the combination can overwhelm them and cause them to die.

Only some of that is what I said. These chicks I haven’t taken outside I didn’t have the chance to let them experience the outside temps, and I use a heat lamp at 80 in a room that’s in the high 70s. I don’t move them to a different room, unless someone is going to use cleaning sprays, cleaning chemicals, spray fragrance, or using one of our non stick pans. Then I move them to a different room that’s the same temp (my grandfather has control over the thermostat and keeps the house at 80 all summer) on another floor, heat lamp and all. Sometimes if someone is using what I just mentioned I will put them outside if the temps are good with a lamp if they need it, so that I can keep them away from the toxic fumes. They were never panting like they were hot or huddled together if they were cold, they showed no signs of anything except being happy chicks.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

 

[bruceha2000]

I don't mind calling McMurray's birds "Easter Eggers," but I do think it's odd that we tend to make a big fuss about Easter Egger vs. Ameraucana, but not about most other hatchery chickens that can show up with wrong leg color, wrong comb type, missing muff/beard, color pattern distinctly off from standard, etc.

I would like for McM to call their EE's EE rather than calling them Ameraucana which they clearly are not. Same with a lot of other hatcheries.

But I generally agree with your post. Meyer sells "Black Australorps" with black legs and yellow foot bottoms. Clearly someone has mucked about with their breeding stock for some reason. My guess is they have some Black Jersey Giant genes in there. They do have some nice birds and the ones I've gotten have always been healthy but I'm souring on them especially since I also got a black "Blue Ameraucana" (which is legit) with black legs and 5 toes. She's 16 weeks today so it will be some time before I find out if she lays blue or those genetics were also screwed up.

I don't expect show quality from a big hatchery but they should meet the basics of a APA recognized breed SOP.

I bought Dominique chicks with rose combs from a hatchery and received a refund for the single comb barred rocks they sent.

Sounds like they sent you chicks from the wrong bin. Hopefully they have proper Dominiques.

Of course, the more space the chicks have, the less danger there is, because they can move away from the too-hot plate. But some people have a plastic bin where the heat plate covers half the space, and the feed & water fill most of the rest, and chicks in a setup like that would not have room to get away if the plate overheats. (Not saying OP did this, just saying I've seen other people's photos of such brooders.)

Yep. Heat plate, MHP or (god forbid) a heat lamp, the chicks need to be able to get to the heat when they need it and away from the heat when they don't. That is why the MHP and heat plates are so much better, the necessary heat is concentrated AND confined to a relatively small area, you aren't heating the air outside them much at all.

 

[chickenpal147]

My boy Chicken Nugget is almost a year old now and is doing so good. He pulled a muscle by his hip a few months ago keeping the others safe from a hawk. Also because he is missing the tips of his toes on one foot he has this adorable weird sideways run. I love this boy so much and I’m glad he survived his ordeal.



Here is a picture of my handsome boy.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

My boy Chicken Nugget is almost a year old now and is doing so good. He pulled a muscle by his hip a few months ago keeping the others safe from a hawk. Also because he is missing the tips of his toes on one foot he has this adorable weird sideways run. I love this boy so much and I’m glad he survived his ordeal.



Here is a picture of my handsome boy.View attachment 3112305

Aww. He looks like a Whiting True Blue or WT Green.

 

[Aunt Angus]

My boy Chicken Nugget is almost a year old now and is doing so good. He pulled a muscle by his hip a few months ago keeping the others safe from a hawk. Also because he is missing the tips of his toes on one foot he has this adorable weird sideways run. I love this boy so much and I’m glad he survived his ordeal.



Here is a picture of my handsome boy.View attachment 3112305

He is very handsome!

 

[Bettyboop7499]

This is my setup. The side with the lamp is about 85 right now as the room she is in is sitting at around 80. She can run to the other side of the box if she gets to warm but also not get chilled. I put the lamp on a timer on for 2 hours off for one as when I got home it was a tad warm in the room. She has a small water dish for now because I put her water in the dishwasher without soap just in case it was the water container doing something. I don’t think I’m going to lose her as she is extremely active at the moment. I would like to give her a name but can’t think of anything that would suit her any suggestions. Also I have no idea which of the breeds she is that I ordered, I’m thinking she is the free surprise chick mcmurray sends with their orders.View attachment 2840847

The only thing different from your brooder and mine is I use a red heat lamp and I keep it warmer around 95 degrees just on one end of the brooder.

 

[Bettyboop7499]

So I keep my clear plastic brooding box at 80 something and the room it is in is in the high 70s. The hatchery is telling me that my chicks died from not enough heat. When they were thriving, running around eating drinking and being happy healthy little chicks, that happen to just out of nowhere no symptoms of hunger thirst, no panting or dog piling on each other for warmth drop dead. These chicks not once used their heat lamp that’s how comfortable they were. The hatchery says that I should keep my plastic box at 95 in a room at mid 70s for the first week so that I could have nice crispy chickens. I’ve cooked my chicks before keeping it at 95 the first week in that room and box, so through trial and close observation of my babies I found that the lamp at 80 will keep them happy and not turn them into rotisserie chickens. I told them that I’ve measured the temp in the box with that lamp at 95 the box got up to the 100s even with a small desk fan on it for circulation. They want me to cook my babies

My boy Chicken Nugget is almost a year old now and is doing so good. He pulled a muscle by his hip a few months ago keeping the others safe from a hawk. Also because he is missing the tips of his toes on one foot he has this adorable weird sideways run. I love this boy so much and I’m glad he survived his ordeal.



Here is a picture of my handsome boy.View attachment 3112305

I’m so glad Nugget is still with you..boy I was on pins and needles in the beginning of your thread, wondering…what could have happenBut it appears this tragedy has a happy ending! Nugget is a beautiful rooster!

 

[Iluveggers]

This is the first batch of incubated chicks I’ve hatched, and the room they are in is between 65-75 depending on weather outside. I have a heat plate, and at 1 week old I am shocked that they spend so much time out from under it, hopping around happily. One of them was actually sleeping on top of it for a little while during the day. When I checked the room temp it was only 72. They seem so healthy, no pasty butt, no issues at all!