Needing words of encouragement...

[3feathers]

I wonder if it is breed or that you have chicks with mothers. I have chicks 3 months old that don't dust bath. I also tend to buy chicks so perhaps they don't have a role model.

 

[BackyardDove]

I wonder if it is breed or that you have chicks with mothers. I have chicks 3 months old that don't dust bath. I also tend to buy chicks so perhaps they don't have a role model.

Probably that I usually have my girls raise the chicks. With the hens, the chicks are dust bathing as soon as they lose their baby chick feathers. When I raise them, it can take them until they're mature to start dust bathing. But then again, the Gamebirds I raise tend to know to dust bathe whether they have a hen or not.

 

[chick100]

Would like credible help please:
I have 3 newly hatched chicks and one has curled toes. So in my panic to try to fix it...I used duct tape. Yes it was dumb...I know that now. But he/she can't walk at all like her little buddies can. So seeing that, I thought, why don't I take it off abd use masking tape, I mean it's lighter, right? So I took her out of the incubator and set to work and quickly realized that duct tape, stuck to itself, is IMPOSSIBLE to get off. In the process her nail started to bleed a bit. What do I do? Do I take steps to take it off now? Or wait until her toes are straight, and then try? Help needed please!! And she just hatched this morning.

 

[BackyardDove]

Would like credible help please:
I have 3 newly hatched chicks and one has curled toes. So in my panic to try to fix it...I used duct tape. Yes it was dumb...I know that now. But he/she can't walk at all like her little buddies can. So seeing that, I thought, why don't I take it off abd use masking tape, I mean it's lighter, right? So I took her out of the incubator and set to work and quickly realized that duct tape, stuck to itself, is IMPOSSIBLE to get off. In the process her nail started to bleed a bit. What do I do? Do I take steps to take it off now? Or wait until her toes are straight, and then try? Help needed please!! And she just hatched this morning.

You'll have to soak her foot in a solution to loosen up the adhesive, but I have no idea what kind of solution. Then you'll have to very, very slowly remove the tape. You'll probably have to create your own post about this, you'll get better answers that way. But when you do get it off, DON'T use masking tape! Her skin will already be sensitive(if not a bit raw) and that will only irritate her skin and potentially cause an infection. If you must take care of her foot right now instead of waiting a couple days, use a bandaid, it's much less sticky and won't tear the skin.

 

[chick100]

Ok thank you very much. This has been helpful. I didn't think about her skin being raw. Acute observation. But, if anyone has any idea about a solution...

 

[3feathers]

Nothing comes to mind that you can soak it in. The solutions that would dissolve the adhesive would not be good for its foot. Depending on how far you want to go I would get what are called "flush cut" pliers. Pretty common and you should be able to insert the end (it comes to a point) between the duct tape and her foot. Not very far but if you keep clipping small amounts you should be able to eventually get the duct tape from being completely around her foot. I would then trim the duct tape as best I could and just let it slough off. They are a great tool to have for all sorts of cutting operations.
The only other way I can think of would be to use an exacto if you have the finesse.
Things like Goo Gone are probably the mildest of the adhesive solvents but the milder it is the longer it takes and it will have to penetrate between the pieces of duct tape. Not like wiping off a label.

 

[BackyardDove]

Ok thank you very much. This has been helpful. I didn't think about her skin being raw. Acute observation. But, if anyone has any idea about a solution...

Upon reading ways that people got duct tape off their own skin, there's several different possible methods. Some said rub oil(Vegetable or any kind of food oil) on it, or ice, etc. Basically, if it's safe to use on yourself, it worth a shot trying. If you use ice, don't soak her foot in it, her foot will quickly get too cold, which can cause other issues. And also trim as much of the excess tape off as possible, any edges, between the toes, and so on. But be very careful! Being so young, it would be very easy to cut off a toe. I highly recommend against taking off the tape without putting it in some kind of solution to make the tape even a little bit less sticky. Duct tape alone is very sticky, and assuming the chick has been in the recommended 99.5 degree temperature, the stickiness will have further melted together. You could easily tear off the entire outer layer of the skin if your not careful since it's such a young chick, depending on how much it has melted together.

Also, I'm not sure how long the duct tape has been on her foot, but I would get it off ASAP. The longer it stays on, the more irritated her skin will get. Imagine putting a piece of duct tape on your skin and leaving it there, it won't be very pleasant after a few hours!

 

[drumstick diva]

I think there is some type of bacteria being passed around. Any chance the rain & humidity is causing moldy food? That would kill them fast too. I know it costs to use a vet but, having one or two dead/dying chicks or chickens examined /or necropsied may point to the reason. Otherwise they will be hatched and die, and cause you even more grief.

For now I would cut way back on hatching or acquiring new birds - till you find out what is killing them.

 

[drumstick diva]

I think there is some type of bacteria being passed around. Any chance the rain & humidity is causing moldy food? That would kill them fast too. I know it costs to use a vet but, having one or two dead/dying chicks or chickens examined /or necropsied may point to the reason. Otherwise they will be hatched and die, and cause you even more grief.

For now I would cut way back on hatching or acquiring new birds - till you find out what is killing them.

 

[BackyardDove]

I think there is some type of bacteria being passed around. Any chance the rain & humidity is causing moldy food? That would kill them fast too. I know it costs to use a vet but, having one or two dead/dying chicks or chickens examined /or necropsied may point to the reason. Otherwise they will be hatched and die, and cause you even more grief.

For now I would cut way back on hatching or acquiring new birds - till you find out what is killing them.

None of their food is left out in the open, and none of the storage bins are leaking. I already found the issue though, I posted earlier this week that I found lice on my birds and eggs on the chicks. I treated everybody on Sunday. I lost another chick today, but I believe it was because this chick got too cold. Him and his siblings were outside and their heat lamp broke, and I didn't rush to get a new one since they were 5 weeks old and had their adult feathers in, and had done well the past few nights without one. And other chicks his age had done well without one. Where I live the temperature reaches the high 90's during the day and mid 70's at night, so I wasn't concerned, but he must've tried to sleep away from his siblings.