Help! 1 week old chicks suddenly acting lethargic (all 12 of them)

[sophiehatter1057]

Hello, I've got 12 chicks we've had for a week now (got them at a day old). Any time we've visited them in the brooder, at least one or two would come and greet us (and usually more than half of them would) or at least be up and moving (even during night time when they're all snuggling together, there are usually at least a couple who keep getting up to do various things). Very suddenly, they're all huddled in a corner of the brooder and very inactive--even the ones who are the first to run and see us. I'm wondering if:
1) they are overheating?
2) we brought bricks in from outside to prop up their water; could this have introduced coccidiosis to them? (I haven't seen bloody stool, but a lot of them have runny stool)
We are first time chick owners and not sure what to try first. Thank you in advance!

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Picture of your setup would be good but yeah it sounds like they’re overheating. Do they have plain fresh water?

 

[sophiehatter1057]

Thank you! I have one bucket of plain water (with 3 drip nipples on it) and one with electrolyte water (also with 3 nipples). I just raised the lamp. I will try to take a picture!

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Are they using the waterers? I’ve never used nipple waterers with chicks but I know grown chickens have to be trained to use them so I would be curious to know how you trained chicks to do it. Seems a whole lot less mess than typical waterers

 

[sophiehatter1057]

They are using the waterers! I started by taking three of them in my hand, letting them watch as I tapped the nipple, then putting the water to their beaks. They, in turn, trained the rest of the flock, and they're all using them.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

That’s so cool! I plan on never brooding chicks again but if I do I am going to try this. Anyway your setup looks good-plenty of space for now. Are they moving around more since you raised the light? Are they on medicated feed?

 

[sophiehatter1057]

I'm using unmedicated feed. Time to switch to medicated? I went ahead and turned the light off for a bit, and they're still all piled up on top of each other, quite still. Thanks for your help with this!

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

So the huddling could mean theyre cold. But mashed as far away from the lamp as possible means they’re too hot. Can you take a picture of them as they are now? Do you have a thermometer to see what the temp is at their level? I just go with their behavior but I’m not there to put eyes on them so a picture and an actual temp might be good. Medicated feed isn’t a bad idea since you put the bricks in but I don’t think that’s what going on

 

[sophiehatter1057]

They are up and moving again! Thank you so much. And I'll grab a bag of medicated feed for good measure

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

very good!