Ivy_Chickens
Hatching
- Feb 18, 2025
- 2
- 1
- 8
Hi there,
I have a batch of 9 week old Brahma chicks I let my EE hen raise. They all have feathers now and are on their own in the coop and doing well, except for one little guy that mostly just has baby fuzz, except for some adult feathers on his wings and legs. No problem. He seemed to be doing fine and I assumed he would catch up. These are my first Brahma. But this morning he seemed sick and sluggish. The weather had changed; it got rainy and colder. I had respiratory issues in my flock a month ago so I immediately medicated their water and caught him to give him an extra dose. When I caught him, I realized he was shivering. So I held him up to my mouth and breathed on him to warm him up. I didn't want to remove from the coop in case he got stressed. He wasn't handraised, so he isn't used to being handled but he seemed happy to be warmer. So I brought him inside, set up a heating pad for him and he napped next to me for most of the day while I worked. He even moved closer to me and laid against me and made no sign of being scared of me at all. My chickens are pretty tame, but not this tame. But he honestly does not seem sick. I can't see any signs as he is happy to eat and perks up and becomes alert as soon as I presented him with food. No sneezing, no respiratory noises, no signs of being sick. He just seemed to like being warm and would trill and nap. I thought perhaps because he doesn't have his adult feathers yet he may just be cold. I took him outside in the afternoon when it was warmer, and compared to the other chickens he didn't seem interested in doing much. He drank some water and stood still until I picked him up, and put him in the brooder with a heating pad again. I cannot tell if he is cold outside or in the early early stages of "fading" from something. Anybody have any insight?
I have a batch of 9 week old Brahma chicks I let my EE hen raise. They all have feathers now and are on their own in the coop and doing well, except for one little guy that mostly just has baby fuzz, except for some adult feathers on his wings and legs. No problem. He seemed to be doing fine and I assumed he would catch up. These are my first Brahma. But this morning he seemed sick and sluggish. The weather had changed; it got rainy and colder. I had respiratory issues in my flock a month ago so I immediately medicated their water and caught him to give him an extra dose. When I caught him, I realized he was shivering. So I held him up to my mouth and breathed on him to warm him up. I didn't want to remove from the coop in case he got stressed. He wasn't handraised, so he isn't used to being handled but he seemed happy to be warmer. So I brought him inside, set up a heating pad for him and he napped next to me for most of the day while I worked. He even moved closer to me and laid against me and made no sign of being scared of me at all. My chickens are pretty tame, but not this tame. But he honestly does not seem sick. I can't see any signs as he is happy to eat and perks up and becomes alert as soon as I presented him with food. No sneezing, no respiratory noises, no signs of being sick. He just seemed to like being warm and would trill and nap. I thought perhaps because he doesn't have his adult feathers yet he may just be cold. I took him outside in the afternoon when it was warmer, and compared to the other chickens he didn't seem interested in doing much. He drank some water and stood still until I picked him up, and put him in the brooder with a heating pad again. I cannot tell if he is cold outside or in the early early stages of "fading" from something. Anybody have any insight?
