Chick with presumed pecking wound

[MenervaGladysandPenny]

Thank you for your advice!

Update:

I watched her over the evening and this morning, and didn’t notice any picking to the small wound. It is well camouflaged by her dark fluff, so I decided to let it be. Continuing to monitor.

However, it watching the chicks closely, I’m noticing more pecking/bothering each other than I’ve seen before. I’m wanting to get them into my bigger brooder set up ASAP. The best place for this would be my garage. They are 3 weeks old today. I am using 2 brinsea heating plates. The low this week is 37 degrees and 40 degrees, highs of 70s, with the lows rising to 50s after the weekend. Im concerned about putting them in the garage with the heat plates with that low of temperature outside. And was planning on waiting a few more days.

But now im wanting to get them in the bigger brooder ASAP with the evidence of pecking behavior and more unruliness in the brooder. The current brooder is 1sq fit/bird, and next brooder I could have up to 3sqft/bird.

What are your thoughts?

 

[Yah]

1. is there enough room for them if you can double to triple your also give the chick a roost that she can fly up on to get away from them . 2. do they have enough food and water ?. 3. Sometimes chickens will go after they others feathers because low calcium rate . 4.can you please give dimensions on your next brooder and how many chicks willl be in it

 

[BastyPutt]

Thank you for your advice!

Update:

I watched her over the evening and this morning, and didn’t notice any picking to the small wound. It is well camouflaged by her dark fluff, so I decided to let it be. Continuing to monitor.

However, it watching the chicks closely, I’m noticing more pecking/bothering each other than I’ve seen before. I’m wanting to get them into my bigger brooder set up ASAP. The best place for this would be my garage. They are 3 weeks old today. I am using 2 brinsea heating plates. The low this week is 37 degrees and 40 degrees, highs of 70s, with the lows rising to 50s after the weekend. Im concerned about putting them in the garage with the heat plates with that low of temperature outside. And was planning on waiting a few more days.

But now im wanting to get them in the bigger brooder ASAP with the evidence of pecking behavior and more unruliness in the brooder. The current brooder is 1sq fit/bird, and next brooder I could have up to 3sqft/bird.

What are your thoughts?

In general, brooder temps are really overrated after the first week of life.

Your birds will absolutely be okay in that setting with a heat source and very well would be without on as well. For the latter, you'd just want to monitor them for a few hours in colder temps. A chick who dies of being too cold starts showing symptoms of such well before they go. If you see them start to become lethargic, the it would be time to get a little heat going.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I am using 2 brinsea heating plates. The low this week is 37 degrees and 40 degrees, highs of 70s, with the lows rising to 50s after the weekend. Im concerned about putting them in the garage with the heat plates with that low of temperature outside. And was planning on waiting a few more days.

Assuming the garage is same as outdoor temps (likely not, but, if that is the case) I would wait until after the weekend, unless you know the heating plates will work for sure at those temperatures. Many of them are designed to work optimally at 50F and up.

 

[BastyPutt]

Many of them are designed to work optimally at 50F and up

This is something I did not know.

Will they not function properly at those temps, or just won't be able to keep the chicks warm?

 

[rosemarythyme]

This is something I did not know.

Will they not function properly at those temps, or just won't be able to keep the chicks warm?

From what I understand some may fail to function properly. Under 50F, mama heating pads seem to be a more reliable way to go (I routinely use mine under 50F).

 

[BastyPutt]

From what I understand some may fail to function properly. Under 50F, mama heating pads seem to be a more reliable way to go (I routinely use mine under 50F).

I have wanted to try them or a mama pad but my anxiety just goes through the roof with I think about it. I have the worst fear of coming out to a brooder full of dead chicks because that thing failed.

The mama pad does look great. Just a matter of building one.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I have wanted to try them or a mama pad but my anxiety just goes through the roof with I think about it. I have the worst fear of coming out to a brooder full of dead chicks because that thing failed.

The mama pad does look great. Just a matter of building one.

Yeah the first night using a heating pad is the hardest, especially since I brood outdoors so it could be raining, windy, etc. on top of being cool.

Chicks actually are more tolerant of cold spells than people think. Even when my pad shut off overnight (due to the outlet used, took me a bit to realize that one of the outlets is unrealible) I've never lost a chick.

 

[BastyPutt]

Yeah the first night using a heating pad is the hardest, especially since I brood outdoors so it could be raining, windy, etc. on top of being cool.

Chicks actually are more tolerant of cold spells than people think. Even when my pad shut off overnight (due to the outlet used, took me a bit to realize that one of the outlets is unrealible) I've never lost a chick.

Oh wow. Okay, that is great news.

I have some Seramas incubating and just ordered my first quail chicks from Hoovers. I'll start looking up some DIY mama pads and give one a shot.

(The quails cost an arm and a leg, so I'll try the seramas! )

 

[rosemarythyme]

Oh wow. Okay, that is great news.

I have some Seramas incubating and just ordered my first quail chicks from Hoovers. I'll start looking up some DIY mama pads and give one a shot.

(The quails cost an arm and a leg, so I'll try the seramas! )

I don't have experience with bantams or more delicate breeds... I've heard that Seramas might be a little more sensitive than a typical standard size breed but I don't know if that's a fact. So it wouldn't hurt to make sure you have a back up for heat (i.e. a heat lamp on standby) in case a pad for some reason doesn't provide enough heat for them.