[storm35]

We got 3 baby chicks, light sussexs, about week or just over old, and a baby duck same age, we have them in a big guinea pig cage thing, with a 40 watt bulb,. saw dust, but one of them is a lot smaller and cheaps loud all night, most of the day aswell, until i bring her/him out and put him/her in jumper, then falls asleep, so i am worried she or he is too cold, can i add another bulb, is that too much? Other ones are fien, just this little one, we got them Fri night.
Any help would be appreciated, cant get a fire red bublb as i have not got a fitting for that, we only have the 2 screw in lamps? I laid a woolly scarf down, they seem to love sitting on that and going to sleep.
Chris x

[doganjo]

If there is room for them to get away from the heat then you can increase it.  If they are too warm they will move away.   When I had my baby ducks hatched for a friend he left a cardboard box with a lamp attached to it with an ordinary bulb. The bulb blew so I hunted around for another one and put it in (most of my bulbs are these energy saving ones with no heat coming off them.)  Anyway, I couldn't understand why they were all huddled right at the far corner of the box as far away from the bulb as they could get, till Brian came for his ducklings later that day and discovered that I had replaced a 40w bulb with a 100w one.  They would have been roasted alive if the box had been much smaller 

Is the wee one getting enough food?  I always remember an old breeder telling me when I started breeding dogs that if my puppies were crying they were either too cold, too hot, or hungry.
Hope that helps

[storm35]

If there is room for them to get away from the heat then you can increase it.  If they are too warm they will move away.   When I had my baby ducks hatched for a friend he left a cardboard box with a lamp attached to it with an ordinary bulb. The bulb blew so I hunted around for another one and put it in (most of my bulbs are these energy saving ones with no heat coming off them.)  Anyway, I couldn't understand why they were all huddled right at the far corner of the box as far away from the bulb as they could get, till Brian came for his ducklings later that day and discovered that I had replaced a 40w bulb with a 100w one.  They would have been roasted alive if the box had been much smaller 

Is the wee one getting enough food?  I always remember an old breeder telling me when I started breeding dogs that if my puppies were crying they were either too cold, too hot, or hungry.
Hope that helps

Thank you, she is getting food, but gets pushed away a lot, when i tuck her in my jumper she goes to sleep, complete silence, so i think it may be she is cold or maybe not gettin enough food, she wont take mash from my hand only peck it off other chicks, i have saw her go to the feeder and get some.
Was told by a hawk breeder that if the bulb is too hot they will roast and go to sleep and never wake up, dehydrate??

[doganjo]

So long as there is room for the chicks to move well away from the heat they won't roast, I don't think.  They aren't that daft  If she's being pushed away she maybe isn't getting enough. Try leaving her with the food and one other chick, moving the others for a short time into say a cardboard box with a hot water bottle under the newspapers.  She may have hatched just a little too early and isn't mature enough to know how to eat.  Is she drinking OK?

[storm35]

So long as there is room for the chicks to move well away from the heat they won't roast, I don't think.  They aren't that daft  If she's being pushed away she maybe isn't getting enough. Try leaving her with the food and one other chick, moving the others for a short time into say a cardboard box with a hot water bottle under the newspapers.  She may have hatched just a little too early and isn't mature enough to know how to eat.  Is she drinking OK?

Yes she is eating and drinking ok, but have took 2 out and left her with another chick and she knows where water is and food, managed to get a 60 watt red spotlight bulb and you never heard a peek out of them today, they are spread out and not huddled together, so think i may leave the red spotlight bulb on them, thank you so much for your help, much appreciated, glad someone was here to help xx

[doganjo]

You're welcome!  I'm not an expert by any means, just had a little experience of my ducklings and puppies and can share that.  That's what these forums are all about

[storm35]

Just lost another chick, no idea what i am doing wrong, surely there must be a breeder that rears up baby chickens, i am so upset, it must be something i am doing wrong, called the guy up and he only loses 1 out of 100, so it has to be me

[doganjo]

Just lost another chick, no idea what i am doing wrong, surely there must be a breeder that rears up baby chickens, i am so upset, it must be something i am doing wrong, called the guy up and he only loses 1 out of 100, so it has to be me

Did he not go over what you are doing to try to help?

[storm35]

Just lost another chick, no idea what i am doing wrong, surely there must be a breeder that rears up baby chickens, i am so upset, it must be something i am doing wrong, called the guy up and he only loses 1 out of 100, so it has to be me

Did he not go over what you are doing to try to help?

Went over everything i was doing and he said he cant understand what is wrong. I have now put 40 watt bulb up and leaving it at that.

[little blue]

depending how much room there is in the cage... try maybe putting a COVERED warm hot-water-bottle in?  just be careful that it isnt too hot.

its a sad fact but chicks do die - it might be they just arent healthy

[meebh]

We had looked after some chicks for a friend when they were on holiday, they came to us with their Mum as they were raised by a broody. 
Sadly one died and when we looked it's bottom was really dirty.....it had 'pasty bum'. 
When we read up on it, it is caused by stress like moving.  Unfortunately they all got it and we had to wash their bottoms with warm water and apply vaseline a few times a day and still another died but the rest recovered and are doing well. 
may be worth checking for that as it is most likely to happen in the first 2 weeks of life.
Sorry to hear that you have lost some 

[storm35]

depending how much room there is in the cage... try maybe putting a COVERED warm hot-water-bottle in?  just be careful that it isnt too hot.

its a sad fact but chicks do die - it might be they just arent healthy

Will try that, put in under the shavings? The breeder told me he usually loses about 1 in a hundred, i feel hellish as i have lost 2 so far in 4, Not seen the little one drink all day, so i got her out, and tried putting water to her beak with my finger, on a clean sponge, i have a syringe, not tried that yet. It stresses her out getting her out and trying her with water, so i dont want to do that as i will make matters worse.

[little blue]

It stresses her out getting her out and trying her with water, so i dont want to do that as i will make matters worse.

that will get her cold too .
be careful if you syringe... easy to get it wrong sadly.

yes, put the HWB under the shaving, but DONT make it too hot, and wrap it in a towel or something first

[storm35]

We had looked after some chicks for a friend when they were on holiday, they came to us with their Mum as they were raised by a broody. 
Sadly one died and when we looked it's bottom was really dirty.....it had 'pasty bum'. 
When we read up on it, it is caused by stress like moving.  Unfortunately they all got it and we had to wash their bottoms with warm water and apply vaseline a few times a day and still another died but the rest recovered and are doing well. 
may be worth checking for that as it is most likely to happen in the first 2 weeks of life.
Sorry to hear that you have lost some 

Ok will go check her bum in a sec, its so sad, glad the others recovered ok.

[storm35]

It stresses her out getting her out and trying her with water, so i dont want to do that as i will make matters worse.

that will get her cold too .
be careful if you syringe... easy to get it wrong sadly.

yes, put the HWB under the shaving, but DONT make it too hot, and wrap it in a towel or something first

I dont want to syringe incase it lets out a huge squirt, but the syringe thing never worked and i cant get to open her beak to put a drop in, as i need to hold her aswell. Will get a hot water bottle and make it warm, put it under shavings, then it wont need a towel if i just make it warm??
Just wished he never gave me chicks as young as these ones, poor wee things.