3-4 week old chick w/ raw red back (is this lice/mites?)

[Vaderfarm]

Hello! I’m new to chickens and I have a few chicks with raw patches on their backs. A few are worse (bigger area, more redness). There’s no oozing or wetness of any kind, more dry dander looking. I’ll post a picture of the worst one for reference. Looking for advice on what to do, thanks!!

 

[Poultrybonkers]

there eating eachother

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I have a few chicks with raw patches on their backs.

Hi, welcome to BYC!

That's either bugs or bullying and looks like bullying. How many birds in how much space... still under a heat lamp that's bright all night?

 

[Vaderfarm]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

That's either bugs or bullying and looks like bullying. How many birds in how much space... still under a heat lamp that's bright all night?

Thank you!! I think it may be bullying! They have been in their brooder for 3 weeks without signs of this and they're inside our house. The brooder is a double size tote (ill include a picture below), theres 10 of them. The gals at the feed shop though this should be more than enough space for 10, im wondering if the heat lamp needs to be raised? We have a red bulb and yes its on 24hrs. it stays around 90-95* but thats the temp from the thermometer on the floor.

 

[Vaderfarm]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

That's either bugs or bullying and looks like bullying. How many birds in how much space... still under a heat lamp that's bright all night?

Here is the picture of the brooder and also another picture of the chicks, many have bald lines down their backs.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Here is the picture of the brooder and also another picture of the chicks, many have bald lines down their backs. View attachment 2072567View attachment 2072568View attachment 2072569

Definitely bullying or boredom picking.. increased by extremely tight space and excess heat coupled with no regular sleep pattern... constant activity diminishes true rest.. compared to heat plates, or ceramic non light emitting bulbs. (just a statement, not a judgement... we are all doing our best until we learn something new!)

Give them WAY more space, watch the dynamics change instantly! Raise that lamp way up... maybe even turning off during the daytime depending on your indoor temp. They will also hugely benefit from something to perch on... even if they aren't ready to night time roost they love perching.

If you aren't still under quarantine for Marek's vaccine... bring in a shovel or dish full of dirt with grass roots and all. This is huge for enrichment, gives some grit, and also exposes them to a small amount of whatever's in your soil allowing them to build some immunity before going out full time. Or start taking them out for short periods during the sunny warm part of the day. In a small play pen with a huddle box for warmth and protection (shade), they do great. My version of warm and sunny is... getting close to 50 degrees and wind below 10 miles per hour. Here on the coast in the PNW.. 60+ degrees is a scorcher.

At this age they're getting very seriously bored and need some adventures... marbles to peck at... some crickets to chase (watch the hilarity ensue) , or search other entertainment, enrichment, or boredom buster ideas. Having regular daytime lighting, my chicks love to peck at colorful polka dots I painted (markered) onto their brooder. The red light might diminish their building power. You should here the little pecker heads go to work first thing every morning like they're building me a mansion, just hammering away happily! Some folks use refrigerator boxes or many decent size cardboard boxes stuck together with wide doorways to prevent bottle necking.

Whatever you can do to double their space or more will you serve all of you well. Also adding your general location to your profile can help folks make their best suggestion possible at a glance since many things can be weather or location related.

 

[Vaderfarm]

Definitely bullying or boredom picking.. increased by extremely tight space and excess heat coupled with no regular sleep pattern... constant activity diminishes true rest.. compared to heat plates, or ceramic non light emitting bulbs. (just a statement, not a judgement... we are all doing our best until we learn something new!)

Give them WAY more space, watch the dynamics change instantly! Raise that lamp way up... maybe even turning off during the daytime depending on your indoor temp. They will also hugely benefit from something to perch on... even if they aren't ready to night time roost they love perching.

If you aren't still under quarantine for Marek's vaccine... bring in a shovel or dish full of dirt with grass roots and all. This is huge for enrichment, gives some grit, and also exposes them to a small amount of whatever's in your soil allowing them to build some immunity before going out full time. Or start taking them out for short periods during the sunny warm part of the day. In a small play pen with a huddle box for warmth and protection (shade), they do great. My version of warm and sunny is... getting close to 50 degrees and wind below 10 miles per hour. Here on the coast in the PNW.. 60+ degrees is a scorcher.

At this age they're getting very seriously bored and need some adventures... marbles to peck at... some crickets to chase (watch the hilarity ensue) , or search other entertainment, enrichment, or boredom buster ideas. Having regular daytime lighting, my chicks love to peck at colorful polka dots I painted (markered) onto their brooder. The red light might diminish their building power. You should here the little pecker heads go to work first thing every morning like they're building me a mansion, just hammering away happily! Some folks use refrigerator boxes or many decent size cardboard boxes stuck together with wide doorways to prevent bottle necking.

Whatever you can do to double their space or more will you serve all of you well. Also adding your general location to your profile can help folks make their best suggestion possible at a glance since many things can be weather or location related.

Thank you SO much! Yes, I’m very new to chickens so all the constructive advice I can get the better. We’re in the Lower mainland of BC so Hi neighbour!

Here’s what I have done for now! It’s getting a little limited with our social isolation situation going on around here! I split the chicks up into two groups and put half in a rabbit cage that we grabbed from a neighbour. I moved the heat lamp up higher and a little further back, is that enough? It’s also split between because we can’t get to the store to grab another right now. I’ve added some interest to the cage as well as spread some feed on the ground along with grit (limestone okay? The feed store said normal grit/granite is unavailable). Then I covered half the cage so that one side would be darker. Hopefully I can fix this up a bit more once I can grab things from stores! I’m going to ask my fiancé to bend up a pan, out of metal, to fit the outside dog fence (black fence) so that we can use that as the total area for them.

The feed store also told us that shavings are bad and they can eat them or inhale dust and cause problems? I’m out of cardboard so I put shavings in for now, what I read online all said shavings are fine?

I’ll add some pictures below!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

The feed store also told us that shavings are bad and they can eat them or inhale dust and cause problems? I’m out of cardboard so I put shavings in for now, what I read online all said shavings are fine?

Cedar shavings are not acceptable but pine shaving are... preferably large over fine if they have an option as this helps prevent eating. Eating shaving isn't an issue much by this age and is most key in their first couple of day while learning what their true feed is. I usually use paper towels to cover the shaving the first few days after bringing them home. Other options I have used very successfully are wood stove pellets (but they are heavy) and rice hulls... which I actually LOVE rice hulls for chick brooders. I most often use pine shavings as they are readily available, fairly affordable, and compost well enough. Hay is a poor choice as poo mats on top and it isn't very absorbent. Since my flooring is water proof, I have kept broods directly on it (with thick shavings) and it stays fine and cleans up well, IF that is an option for you with regards to ditching your bin and bun cage. I would remove the rabbit cage and the tub and just use that outer fence thing and put them back together and it's perfect (is what I'm trying to say). Or leave it as is and don't add another lamp. You did good.

I have also used clear plastic sheeting (or like a tarp) on the floor to protect large areas.

Putting them back together right now will keep it simple and not rouse any extra pecking order antics later at re-integration. Plus two flocks is more work.

I'm not sure if limestone has too much calcium to be used as a grit source for chicks would be my only concern. Otherwise it is a fine choice is my understanding. But a shovel or dish of dirt will do the same thing.

BC is beautiful!