1 Week Old Cornish Cross Chicks, Please HELP

[Tumbleweed Farm]

I have 15 1 week old cornish cross hens that look terrible. Most are bald on the butt and stomach and a few on the wings. I am feeding them a high protein broiler mash and today they ate cut up boiled eggs. They are all eating and drinking (with Sav-A-Chick) fine. I change the entire brooder daily. I have them outside on the grass for 2-3 hours a day and they love it, it's very warm. Why do they look so awful!?

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

Cornish Rocks will grow faster than their feathers can keep up with, thus the bald patches. Just make sure they are not pecking one another out of boredom, though.

If they start growing too fast, you may have to ration out their food to keep them from having skin and leg problems. I've seen pictures of some that grew so fast that their skin burst or their legs could not support their weight.

 

[Tumbleweed Farm]

Thanks for your reply BigPippin. They look so pathetic. They are outside running around, don't think they are bored but i do suspect they are pecking at the smallest mangiest one. I'm going to go get some of that stop peck tar stuff.

 

[Denninmi]

Yes, its completely normal. Mine at 5 weeks still are semi-naked underneath, with large areas of pin feathers coming in patches. Just the genetics of this rather perverse abomination against nature.

 

[Tumbleweed Farm]

Thanks Demmini, I feel better knowing they just look like this! Scary!