One chick much smaller than the rest?

Hello everyone! I just got these chicks sunday and when we got them they were all very similar in size. This little chick doesn't seem to be doing so good. She's significantly smaller than the others now. The others have all gotten very wild and crazy.

She really doesn't move around as much and really just stands under the lamp with her eyes closed. I added a second heat lamp because I did notice my first lamp wasn't putting off as much heat as I'd like (it was only reaching about ~80F).

She is really starting to worry me and I know they can go downhill fast so I'm hoping maybe someone has some advice? I haven't noticed her eating or drinking when I'm around either. The others as soon as I even touch the food dish they go bananas! I haven't even seen her eat any at all.

MissMonty said:

Hello everyone! I just got these chicks sunday and when we got them they were all very similar in size. This little chick doesn't seem to be doing so good. She's significantly smaller than the others now. The others have all gotten very wild and crazy.

She really doesn't move around as much and really just stands under the lamp with her eyes closed. I added a second heat lamp because I did notice my first lamp wasn't putting off as much heat as I'd like (it was only reaching about ~80F).

She is really starting to worry me and I know they can go downhill fast so I'm hoping maybe someone has some advice? I haven't noticed her eating or drinking when I'm around either. The others as soon as I even touch the food dish they go bananas! I haven't even seen her eat any at all.

Click to expand...

I have had runts as well as weak chicks, some make it and some don't---that's part of raising them. Make sure its getting feed and water---not being bullied away or scared away.

I see you appear to be using a 250 watt heat lamp bulb----have you actually uses a thermometer to check the temp in the bottom of the brooder? Your chicks appear to be huddled in the center of the light---the small one just out the center. Makes me think its to cold??? But I am just looking at a picture. I have raised 1000's and 1000's and 1000's and have never used a red-heat bulb. My thoughts are if you got to raise it 2 to 3 feet to keep it from being to hot, why not use a lot smaller bulb and lower it till the temp under the bulb is right?? Save some electricity money?

Put food into a shallow dish and water also.....Some do not understand the feeders and starve out....

Try that.....

Cheers!

PD-Riverman said:

I have had runts as well as weak chicks, some make it and some don't---that's part of raising them. Make sure its getting feed and water---not being bullied away or scared away.

I see you appear to be using a 250 watt heat lamp bulb----have you actually uses a thermometer to check the temp in the bottom of the brooder? Your chicks appear to be huddled in the center of the light---the small one just out the center. Makes me think its to cold??? But I am just looking at a picture. I have raised 1000's and 1000's and 1000's and have never used a red-heat bulb. My thoughts are if you got to raise it 2 to 3 feet to keep it from being to hot, why not use a lot smaller bulb and lower it till the temp under the bulb is right?? Save some electricity money?

Click to expand...

I'll look into the bulb, we have a second lamp you can't see in the picture, they were actually retreating from me having just been cleaning and giving them fresh food and water. A lot of people had recommended the red heat bulb instead of white as apparently white can cause them to nip eachother and be more of a problem for sleeping? I'm not really sure how true that is but I had been looking at white and red bulbs. There wasn't a huge selection at the store I was at but I know a pet store near me has a bunch of other heat bulbs I may try to research more and see how those would work.

Have you ever used the heat bulbs that do not emit light? Right now our chicks are in the garage (its insulated but not heated) so it can get a little cold in there at night. We have two lamps currently but do you think a heat bulb without light may be more energy efficient?

chickens really said:

Put food into a shallow dish and water also.....Some do not understand the feeders and starve out....

Try that.....

Cheers!

Click to expand...

Thank you for the advice, I will make sure to try that next time we get new chicks. I just had assumed since they were at the store with feeders that they would know how but I see how that was something I shouldn't assume since likely they're only at the store a few days.

MissMonty said:

Have you ever used the heat bulbs that do not emit light? Right now our chicks are in the garage (its insulated but not heated) so it can get a little cold in there at night. We have two lamps currently but do you think a heat bulb without light may be more energy efficient?

Click to expand...

About 1/2 of my brooders are heated with thermostat controlled heating elements----not lite bulbs, But I do have around 18 brooders that use light bulbs. Never Used a red Heat Lamp---its to hot for all my applications. I would use one if I was doing 200 to 300 chicks in one pen but with just 100 or less in a brooder I do not need the "hot red" one. I have raised 1000's and 1000' ---over 6000 in just a little over one year. Never had pecking'/nipping or sleeping problems. I set all my un-factory brooders where the hanging lamp works like a mother hen. If I got just a few chicks I drop the hanging lamp about 3" from the floor with a 25 watt bulb. The chicks go under it to warm---just like they would if they were with a mother hen. A Mother hen only warms a area less than the size of a paper plate----so if you got 6 chicks why heat a huge area???? If I got 15 chicks I will raise the hanging light a little and put a 40 watt bulb in it, etc, etc. I always check the temp with a thermometer to set-up.

People say this and that and they might have problems----I am going to try what I think will work and if its working I am good-----Just because some one says I got to use a red light----doesn't really Mean "I" got to use a red light. If I can raise chicks in 18 brooders that are heated with regular bulbs and Never have a problem is proof enough to me that I do not have to use red lights. Red light might be best with 1/2 grown to grown chickens----never needed to heat my coops.

No I have never used a non-light heat bulb----never needed one. If you will think----chicks need their mother hen to stay warm and so set them up something to replace the mother hen you will do fine------Mother hens only heat around 100 degrees and again about the size of a paper plate. Example I have about 115 chicks in this---I call it "mother hen" only 3, 75 watt bulbs and as you can see in the pic---only one is running in the day time(thermometer laying on top to the right of the light glow)----This is set-up out door in my winter, they go under it to warm and run around the pen after they get warm---they too were retreating from me when I walked to take the pic's.




Edited to add---this is my 19th brooder using regular light bulbs----forgot to count it above.

I'm having the same problem. She had the start of pasty butt at day 2-3, so I cleaned her and used a bit a vaseline. On day 8 now, feathers under her vent were getting a bit caked up, but not much. I cleaned her again and put more vaseline on those feathers to prevent more cacking. She is significantly smaller now. I have watched her drink and eat. I have given her egg yolk a couple of times (I feed her out of my hand to prevent the others from pushing her around) and she hunted down and devoured a small ant that dropped into the brooder. She seems very up and down. I'm wondering if the chick feed is a bit big for her? should I grind some into smaller form? Any other ideas?

PD-Riverman: I love your "Mother". I might have to duplicate that!

Collibeth said:

I'm having the same problem. She had the start of pasty butt at day 2-3, so I cleaned her and used a bit a vaseline. On day 8 now, feathers under her vent were getting a bit caked up, but not much. I cleaned her again and put more vaseline on those feathers to prevent more cacking. She is significantly smaller now. I have watched her drink and eat. I have given her egg yolk a couple of times (I feed her out of my hand to prevent the others from pushing her around) and she hunted down and devoured a small ant that dropped into the brooder. She seems very up and down. I'm wondering if the chick feed is a bit big for her? should I grind some into smaller form? Any other ideas?

PD-Riverman: I love your "Mother". I might have to duplicate that!

Click to expand...

Go for making one like it if you want or a smaller scale for less chicks. Sure throw some feed in a grinder and make it some finer. I have to grind the chick feed some for bantam chicks.