Can't sleep-lost my first flock...trying again

[DobieLover]

Hello, Samantha, and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.
Posting pictures of your brooder setup would help figure out what went wrong.
I would avoid the galvanized metal waterer. What type of bedding did you use?
I would also recommend using a momma heating pad or brooder plate instead of a heat lamp.

 

[rjohns39]

Hi Samantha and welcome to BYC We're so happy you've decided to join us

 

[CrazyCrttr75]

Welcome to BYC! Glad you found the site and joined us! I'm so very sorry on the loss of your little ones I hope your next try is filled with successful!

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

Welcome to our FUNomenal Flock!
I’m so sorry for your loss...Bear hugs!

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC - sorry for the circumstances. Sudden death in a group of apparently healthy chicks? I would toss the new waterer. By any chance did you add a Teflon coated heat lamp or cook with a Teflon coated pan that day ? Teflon fumes have been implicated in sudden death in healthy chicks.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Did you put electrolytes in the metal waterer?

 

[drumstick diva]

So very sorry for your loss. Could you post a photo of your waterer?

 

[Eggscaping]

Can't sleep-lost my first flock after 10 days after 6 weeks just now getting the courage up to try again. Bought our first flock at Rural King of Americanas, Reds, and Orpingtons. I'm an RN and not sure what happened, had them in the same tote with a heat lamp reading 90 degrees and plenty of food and water, with no pasty butts. The only thing we changed was their waterer. We'd bought a galvanized steel one off Amazon, that was made in China, that I replaced a plastic bowl with that afternoon. Went to bed, they were drinking out of it well, then the next morning found all 6 face down and lifeless. I was crushed, cried on and off for days. Surprised because at work, I see human death regularly which didn't even compare to how I felt about these sweet innocent babies. Now that I have a new flock, I'm worried something's going to happen to them. Anyone else been through this? Not sure h ow to deal and be sure not to go b thru this again. Not sure my heart could handle round 2 but this is my Mother's day gift. Please share of you've been thru this and have any advice for coping...Thanks so much! Samantha

Hi Samantha - welcome to the group. I know how you feel...we made a mistake that lost us 2 chicks and my DP is still beating herself up over it, even though we have 13 others that are fine. You feel like they depended on you and you let them down. Big HUG. But...we try to mitigate that by realizing that no one is perfect and mistakes will be made when trying something new. Here is what I can share from our experience.
We had ours under a heat lamp...red bulb, made for chicks. Thermometer underneath, where the chicks would be. All was well and then I went in and found 2 of them lying on the pine shavings, NOT directly under the lamp, but looking limp and almost not able to respond when touched. They were too hot, and had basically collapsed and would have laid there until they died, too hot to move further away from the light and seek a cooler area. At that point we took out the lamp and put in a Mama Heat Plate, which we will both SWEAR by. Yes, they cost more, but the chicks take to them so well. When cold, they run underneath and warm up, and then they can run out again like they'd do with a mama hen. You move the adjustable plate up and down on the legs so as they grow it stays at the right height. I can't say enough good things about those plates. No chance of a fire, and they don't get hot enough for a chick to collapse from heat, as our two did.
I might raise an eyebrow at a drinker made in China, but that's just me and I can't give any input on that.
As a side note, we weren't completely sure what lost us the 2 who died, but they had been outside in the coop with temperatures in the low 40s...doing just fine under the Mama heat plate, but my DP had cleaned the brooder and put the Mhp back on cardboard instead of lots of fluffy pine shavings - and she believes that made it so they couldn't all snuggle in something soft and fluffy and insulating, and that those 2 were on the outside and that let them get too cold. The others were all fine, pine shavings went back under the Mhp and there were no more deaths.
Good luck on your next chicks. Keep us posted and please try not to be too hard on yourself.

 

[Kale the Quail]

Welcome to BYC! lots of awesome people with lots of information sorry about your chicks

 

[chrissynemetz]

I'm so sorry about your last chicks! I know how much it hurts, but it does pass in time. My first thought would be three things already mentioned, the waterer, the heat light, or the bedding.