Chick Mental Problems

Hey All!!

OK, so on Monday, two days ago, we got about 60 chicks delivered. Since then they have been going to different families, since it was a group order. Now we have only 23 chicks in the brooder. Last night and this morning we noticed something strange about the white polish chick. Last night we thought she was really just sleeping to much and being sorta listless and confused. This morning however, She sitting in a corner away from the heat lamp, (they are 6 day old now) cheeping like crazy for all she was worth. Then she flopped on her back, still cheeping, and we thought she was dead after the cheeping got really quiet, so we picked up a paper towel and leaned over to pick her up. Oddly enough, she jumped up and started running around the kiddie pool and wouldn't shut up. It's the only one cheeping, and she's getting back at all the ones that picked on it. About ten minutes ago she started running in circles, then flopped back onto her back. Now it seems like the cycle is going again, but the entire time she won't stop cheeping. It certainly sounds like a distress call, but when we pick it up and stroke her puff ball of a head, she does quiet down, but won't close her eyes. Is it possible for chickens to get epilepsy? (brain disorder)

Has anyone ever seen this kind of condition in an almost week old chick?? They were in shipping from Friday to Monday, and only one immediately didn't survive the trip, and one died in it's sleep Monday night. Please help, I don't want another dead... Kinda off topic, but is it OK to give them some sort of roost if their practically a week old?

THANK YOU!

A low roost is great -- anything to jump on or play with, for distraction. They won't roost in the adult sense, though, that is, sleep on it at night.

Polish I believe are a vaulted skull breed, which means they actually have a skull defect. The poof on the head often attracts others to peck at it.

Any chance she bonded with one of the ones that moved to another family? I know my polish is super bonded with our Sussex to the point that she goes a little crazy when she can't see her.

I have one chick that does that if I remove ANY of the other chicks from the brooder. It probably is just trying to call out to all the other chicks that are now in new homes. The chick doesn't understand why it's in a new place and why some of it's friends are gone.

Yeah, it must have bonded with another chick who is gone..any other families having a similar problem?

To go along with this topic...

Two days ago, I received my replacement chicks for the year. They are all cute tiny balls of Rhode Island Red fluff. I was watching my friends 5 year old and he helped me pick them out. I bought them from the local farm & home store. That first night they were fairly quiet. The next day one of the chicks (only this one) chirped nearly all day that ear piercing distress scream. If I carried it around with me she would fall asleep. As soon as she was back in the brooder she was back to screaming. I also noticed she carries her wings different. She does not keep them tucked in tight like the others. They kind of hang low in a "lazy" way. I like to check the keenness of my chicks. In this case its a cut of a fur tree. I hold it in with the chicks. It wiggles just enough to catch the chicks eye and they will watch it and peck at it. the screamer chick has little to no interest in this activity. I also noticed all the other chicks had full crops. Hers was empty. I wonder if there is something abnormal with this chick too. Any ideas.