Chicks Piling Up

[Little Bear Game Farm]

Hey Guys - If anyone has any input, I would appreciate it.

We have had a problem with chicks piling up and smothering each other.  We had the problem a couple years ago, the first year we started raising a lot of birds and again this past year.  We won't be hatching for a couple months but I would like to try something different in the brooder pens.

Basically, we'll hatch out about 500 chicks (have had the same problem with chukar and pheasant).  First year we put them in a 8' diameter ring under the 3' diameter propane brooder.  Last year, I expanded the brooder ring to more of an oval, about 8' x 12', and added a 2nd heat lamp.  Plenty of food and water available and heat under the brooder at 95F.  We can fill the feeders/waterers and come back an hour later to make sure they are OK and will have 50 smothered against the round wall of the brooder ring, furthest away from the door.  Its the first week or so that we have them in the ring that we will lose 40% of our chicks. 

Going to try 5 brooder sections this year with about 100 chicks each to see if that works.  I was just wondering if you guys have had this problem and what type of set up you guys use for that first week.

Thanks!

[cv]

Usually it means not enough heat however its sounds as though they're moving away from the heat source could mean too much heat or possibly they're running from something, maybe some critter or noises scared them, depends on how they react to a cause.. could simply be nutty birds..

[Little Bear Game Farm]

Thanks CV, it seems like they run away from where we enter and there isn't much I can do about that.  Hopefully, by dividing them up more it will help but I wouldn't think you would need to.

[slider]

Just make sure that you have the correct temp in your brooder area for the age of the birds... and no square corners for chukars.

[CharlieHorse]

 Do any gather under the heaters?   Maybe cover the brooder with something to make it less likely to disturb them, plus use less heating energy.  More brooders and less chicks per brooder would be a good idea, regardless.

[Little Bear Game Farm]

That's usually where they would be when they were sleeping so I don't think it was a temp problem.  We might try a new bedding for the chicks this year instead of the hay/straw they can burrow into and get smothered.  More of an extruded wood fiber that you see in the boxes when day olds are shipped.

Thanks