Backstroke Chicks???

[Coyote_Texas]

All,
Well I have my new chicks in their new brooder, but it appears as though they like sitting in the water dish. I am using the typical plastic base with a quart mason jar and marbles to keep them from drowning.
It appears that they are all wanting to huddle close to each other, and if one of the little guys gets close to the water dish they all kind of crowd or crawl on top of eachother and just afraid of them drowning eachother.
I picked them out a couple of times only to come back about 30 m inutes later to find them all soaked to the bone. We figured they wanted a chance at the olympic title in swimming.
So for the interum I have removed the water dish, any input would be greatly appreciated.
Ed

[rushcreek]

If your close to a large feed store you may be able to get a no drown quail chick waterer. Very small base, although I have seen 'em still push each other into one.
 If the chicks are piling really bad make sure they have enough heat (at least 95 degrees) or that you don't have a draft. Make sure the brooder is big enough that they can get under the heat or away from it without being too close to the waterer. Hope this helps a little.

[Coyote_Texas]

Hey Rushcreek,
Thanks for the insite, I have the waterer directly under the brooder lamp, I'll move it off further to the sides and will see if they still want to try for swimming lessons. 
I am keeping the brooder about 95, so they may just be congregating at the heat source. Might just be  a rookie mistake, thanks again for the input.
Ed

[aKirA]

Yes they will huddle under the lamp. As rush says, you need to make sure the brooder is big enough to put the feed and water away from under the lamp.

Still, I had one that drowned another by standing on his head in the waterer while they were feeding/drinking. They are prone to accidents early on but as they mature, I would say, all-in-all they are pretty hardy. Hope this helps.

[rushcreek]

They are prone to accidents early on

You got that right. Seems like they go out of their way to get into trouble .

[stewaw]

If they are crowding/piling under the heat source, they are too cold. If they are crowding/piling in a corner then you have a draft problem. Increase the heat by lowering the heat lamp or put in a second one.  It's a balancing act at best.  Crowding under the light they are too cold, spread out against the edges of the brooder they are too hot.  I agree that moving the water and feed out from under the heat is a good idea.  I like to have mine placed about half under and half away from the heat.

David

[Coyote_Texas]

OK, I moved the water and food off to the side and that seemed to help. When constructing the brooder I chose to use 2 lamps, one I keep up at the top of the brooder (at about 24 inches off the floor) and the other (about 18 inches off the floor), but have attached a rheostat to help control the heat. From many of the article I have read they recommend 2 lamps just in case one burns out, I agreed for the additional investment of $15 it was well worth the effort.
I had inadvertently turned the temperature down to about 90 degrees, so that’s why they were all huddled in the center. In building and testing I had been marking various spots that would maintain an average temperature and simply forgot to put it on the correct mark… Ooops…
Thanks for the input.
Ed

[sawblade]

In my brooder I heat one end to about 100 degrees and leave the other end unheated. That way the chicks will move to the spot with the temperature that they are most comfortable at. I have not lost a single chick with this method. My brooder is 90 inches long so usually its 100 degrees on one end and about 80 degrees on the other. I lower the temps as they get older. Just watch your birds and they will show you if they are hot or cold. I also place the feed and water in the center of the brooder.