Baby chicks

[Carolinechicken]

I'm have four three week old chicks, one rir one black sex link and two buff orpingtons one of my orpingtons has her feathers lie flat the other is always fluffed up nugget eats and drinks but her head is always in her feathers (neck not extended) any ideas what this would be?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

That's a sign it's not feeling well, without other symptoms it can be hard to pinpoint the problem. It could be anything from cocidiosis to abnormally formed organs, and anything in between.

 

[aart]

Is she pooping ok?
What are you feeding?
How are the birds housed?
Do you have other birds?

 

[Carolinechicken]

She is pooping ok and is drinking, we are feeding them chick starter grower, they are housed in a large box no heat ( they are five weeks old the nights get pretty cold here so they are not outside yet) I have seven birds living outside and six living inside. Does this help?

 

[aart]

How big is this 'box' with the 6 chicks living in it..... in feet by feet?
Did you get all 6 chicks inside from the dame place at the same age?

 

[Carolinechicken]

The box is five feet by five feet they are two different ages, one and a half months and three months (the three-month-olds live inside with no heat because our new coop is not done yet) They have lived together for three weeks and there was an isolation time because of any diseases that the three-month-olds ( 9 weeks when we got them) might be carrying. They are all from the same "place"

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

How often do you clean the box. Is there wet spots? There should always be good ventilation and exchange of air. Brooding inside can cause stale air and potentially things like brooder pneumonia. Do you keep a window open? What is the room temperature?

 

[Carolinechicken]

I clean the box every five days
there is a window open and the room tempature is betewwn 60 and 70at all times
Ther litter is clean and dry.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

She could be a bit cold, at 3 weeks they should be around 70-75 degrees. How feathered out are they? You could try adding a lower watt heat lamp, to see if she perks up a bit, or up the temperature of the room to see if she improves, if she doesn't than you know it's not that. Have you always kept them at that temperature?

 

[Carolinechicken]

They are all fully feathered we gave the "sick one" heat for the past 24 hrs but there is no change, at first I thought that she had sour crop and we did not give her any food for the last 18 hours there is no change in her crop it feels hard at the top (poky boney) and smooth on the bottom ( she poops and drinks normaly) they are four weeks old and we give them heat if the temperature in the room is below 60 degrees does this help? Dm me.