Chicks Dying Every Other Day

[Down Under]

I agree with @StinkyAcres the brooder seems a bit cool, here is a chart from Colorado State University to help:

Brooding Temperatures​

Proper conditions are necessary for baby poultry changes during the first weeks of life. Ensure baby poultry are dry and bedding materials are not wet. Hypothermia due to wet conditions is one of the most common causes of baby poultry deaths in small farms. Poultry flock owners should strive to follow the suggested temperatures in the chart below by regulating heat in the brooding unit. The temperatures should be measured at the outer edge of the hover (a canopy type brooding unit/lamp) 4 to 6 inches (10.2 to 15.2 centimeters) above the floor. Room temperature should not be over 75°F (23.9°C) during the first few weeks. It is advisable to keep room temperature in the correct range to encourage rapid feathering of the chicks. If weather conditions change outside of the brooding unit, attend quickly to temperatures to see if adjustments need to be made.

​

Age	Brooding Temperature
0 to 1 week	93° to 95°F (33.9° to 35°C)
1 to 2 weeks	88° to 90°F (31.1° to 32.2°C)
2 to 3 weeks	83° to 85°F (28.3° to 29.4°C)
3 to 4 weeks	78° to 80°F (25.6° to 26.7°C)
4 to 5 weeks	75°F (23.9°C)
5 to 6 weeks	70°F (21.1°C)
6 weeks and over	Comfort Zone 50° to 70°F (10° to 21.1°C)

link: https://extension.colostate.edu/top...ing-and-space-requirements-for-poultry-2-502/

Also it is best to have your heat plate with 2 legs set higher than the others so that the chicks can move to warmer or cooler spots as they need.

I would not be concerned about bacteria as @Seaslug mentioned, although honey can harbor bacteria when it is mixed with water honey produces peroxide which should kill any bacteria in it. When used externally it mixes with sweat to create the peroxide that give it its antibacterial properties.

 

[Seaslug]

@downunder thank you for that information about honey.

 

[KS_Chicken_Wrangler]

Shipped chicks, especially when it's cold, need big heat early on. Cackle Hatchery maintains that they need 100 degrees plus (with heat lamps not plates) for the first couple of days after arriving. Not sure if that's gospel, but it's worth noting.

Losses suck. I lost 4 of my 40 and I used an Ohio Brooder (over 100 in the middle) with an external heat lamp aimed toward their food and swing. I think I had some weak ones and one with pasty butt that I didn't catch soon enough (tough to see all those little butts when there are 40!).

 

[Down Under]

Shipped chicks, especially when it's cold, need big heat early on. Cackle Hatchery maintains that they need 100 degrees plus (with heat lamps not plates) for the first couple of days after arriving. Not sure if that's gospel, but it's worth noting.

Losses suck. I lost 4 of my 40 and I used an Ohio Brooder (over 100 in the middle) with an external heat lamp aimed toward their food and swing. I think I had some weak ones and one with pasty butt that I didn't catch soon enough (tough to see all those little butts when there are 40!).

Pasty butt is a symptom of your brooder being too hot and 40 in one brooder, it is usually best to split a batch that big into two brooders to avoid trampling issues and to ensure that all of them can get access to feed and water.