3 Different Breeds, 100% inside, scratching their heads and wiping beaks on the mat

[Jojociita]

I’m usually in crisis in the hatching forum, but here I am. I have a beautiful baby silkie (maybe 2 weeks) and two completely unknown 8 day old chicks. All very vocal and friendly (they like to charge my hand and vie for who gets to sit and sleep in it while my arm falls asleep. Regardless, there’s been some head shaking (normal with vigorous feeding) but it’s turned more and more into head scratching and I’m both worried and confused. No shavings, simple medstart, nothing else in this room.. it’s a bathroom. But they’re all scratching their heads frequently and … as of-course I do,, I worry. The silkie is feathering out like her goofy self and the younger two are feather more gracefully, but not near enough to be trying to preen their heads? Idk how that goes. I hatch, raise for two weeks, and return to the egg provider because I just like the experience of hatching fluff butts and their hens aren’t great mommas and don’t brood much. So perfect match. Anywho… why the constant side of head scratching? Are they all allergic to the feed? They’re all from different hens, and there’s nothing else in this bathroom aside from their own, brooder plate, good, water, and the occasional tube of plastic and mirrors because they enjoy them lol

I’m at a loss. Any ideas?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Have you checked them over for mites? Sounds like they aren't ever in contact with adult birds, so that's probably unlikely. They are growing in feathers, so perhaps that's why they are itchy.

 

[Jojociita]

Have you checked them over for mites? Sounds like they aren't ever in contact with adult birds, so that's probably unlikely. They are growing in feathers, so perhaps that's why they are itchy.

I did a mite check to the best of my abilities. No other animals in the house(except my husband maybe ) and I do have a pothos plant I keep in the downstairs living room but it’s more free and I presume plant mites and chick mites wouldn’t overlap. I think they were just feathering as you noted. I’d kept them longer than normal due to scheduling so I’d never seen that far into feathering before!