The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: PJB on May 14, 2009, 09:27:04 am
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Hi, Im new to this site , only just registered but needed some advice on newly hatched chicks.
My four chicks hatched successfully in the incubator after the 21days however i moved them into the brooder
within about 8hrs, They appeared ok in the brooder under the lamp for about an hour and then very sadly
died.
Is this because i moved them too early?
Many thanks
PJB
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It will not have helped. however well you look after chicks they sometimes are not meant to live, for whatever reason. you should be able to leave the chicks in the incubator for at least 24 hours as they need to rest from the exursion of hatching. chicks don't like drafts or cold places and can soon chill enough to pass on. letting kids manhandle them is a mistake also, as not only are you stressing the birds but chilling them and passing on germs.try again, and you may have better luck.
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if they all died then it was either the temp was to high or low or they picked up a bug. get a thermometer and see what the temp was under the lamp. disinfect the equipment with some strong disinfectant and try again. If there is room for them to stay leave them in the incubator for the full day. Don't feed or give them drink for the first day. it is very annoying when a hatch. But don't give up you will get some chicks the next time.
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When I have used the incubator, I leave them for 24 hours before moving them. I have always moved mine to the bathroom with the heater on and have always raised them successfully. I use a box with hay in it and jam pot lids/shallow dishes. I leave the heater on at all times. As they grow I put them outside in a run if it is warm, and return them to the bathroom at night. I have done this many times so it works for me.
I have never thought to get a brooder so not sure how it works.
Hope you have better luck next time. Deffinately don't move them for 24 hours though, and as Carl says, no drafts, and don't be tempted to let the children handle them.
Kate :chook:
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I always try and leave my ducklings in the incubator for as long as possible. However, I have removed some and put in brooder box at about 8/10 hours to ease over crowding and have never had a problem. Better luck for next time. I have the heat lamp just above the box and the box is big enough so that if they are too hot they can go off into the corners and if they are too cold they will cuddle in together directly under the lamp and then I would lower/raise it accordingly.
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Many thanks for that, is there a correcty temperature then once inside the brooder?
I have had success before using broody hens but first time with incubator
Im afraid my young boys and wife are very upset and i feel awful about it!
I have one hatching today so im leaving well alone,
Thanks
Pjb
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I can imagine how you all feel. I also have to say that I handle them from a very early ago but always wash my hands first and so does any one else that gets to touch them. Don't know about correct temperature, sorry. Good luck with todays hatching, please let us know how you get on.
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On reflection i think the lamp caused the problem. I was worried about them beinG too cold hence coming out of the incubator early so i used cardboard to ensure they couldnt find any cold corners ( something a local farm
told me to do ) As you say if they were too hot they could escape and thus sadly died.
I hatched four chicks from a bantam hen over Easter and all of these doing well thank god!
Its far easier doing this but Hen not interested any more.
Thanks for your help
PJB
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Start your broody temp just below hatch temp and gradually reduce, untill feathered up. ie keep raising the lamp higher above the chicks.I can imagine how sad your family felt. but you'll toughen up with experience.
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As said start at about incubator temp. but let them guide you. my first brooder for the first two weeks is in the living room. next to the incubator. its about 2 1/2 by 2 ft. after about two weeks they need to go into a bigger one this is 4x4 for another couple of weeks this one is in the byre more drafty etc. then into a stall in the byre without heat until they are fully feathered. then they meet the other hens in there own run.
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Thanks for the advice, i will try again unless i can get one of my hens broody
The good thing about the incubator is that the kids can see whats happening and can see more
a part of the whole process. Unfortunately in this case they have been excited over the past 21days
especially the last few and obviously they were REALLY pleased with the hatching
Now the family is treating me like a mass murderer!!!!
I think ill keep to my garden and my other chickens and let my wife become responsible for the hatching!
Regards
PJB
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but thats all part of farming its not all nice. But they learn from it. think how excited they will be when your next lot a fully grown.
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Hello PJB.
I have put abit about chicks and hatching in my blog at
www.castlefarmeggs.co.uk.
t
There should be something in there that might help.
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Many thanks, lots of good info on your blog
very helpful, we have finally hatched the last egg we had and all seems ok at the moment
i have transferred to brooder and things seem ok.
Im think of buying a couple more chicks same age approx to keep it company, is this a good idea?
otherwise will be on its own for a while. Am i becoming soft in my old age?
Regards
PJB
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I raised a single duckling once and there were no problems. I just kept putting her in beside the other ducks for short spells of time every day (she was obvioulsy on her own inside her wee run) but the other ducks would come up and see her etc. When she was big enough to run with them there was never a problem.
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I did the same with both a duckling and a chick.
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To update you i purchased three more chicks about 5days old and put them in my brooder with the one
chick i managed to hatch successfully from the incubator. Thankfully everything going ok with brooder and lamp
and they all seem to get on together. However, the chick i hatched is very noisy compared to the others
It seems to cheep and chirp all the time . its almost as if it thinks the other slightly bigger chicks are his mother.
Does this sound crazy, yes ok.
On another matter does using the lamp mean approx £9.00 week on my electric bill?!!!
Anyway im surrounded by chicks and chickens now , 4 inside and another 6 outside with Bantam Hen (born easter ) and then my usual flock. All good fun
PJB
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depends on the wattage we use a 250watt bulb with a power saving switch so it runs at 125watts. 125x24 =3kwh so 7 days = 21kwhx9.3 = £1.95 per week so 4-5 weeks cost about £10. my maths maybe wrong but i think not