A few questions about chicks...

[Chick farm]

My RSL chicks are 3 1/2 weeks old. All 6 still alive and doing well apparently. I have one who has a butt problem, but we are working on it.


This same chick has some weird toes. I'm thinking one was broken before we got her. It doesn't spread out like a normal chicken foot, but stays right next to the middle toe. Her other foot seems a little weak. Her toes just don't grab as tightly as the other chicks seem, too. Will this cause her problem in the future? She seems OK walking, and even holding onto her roost-a branch about an inch or inch and a half in diameter.

Also, all chicks seems to cuddle down in to their bedding, then scratch around with their feet under them. What are they doing?

They spill their feed constantly. For a while I was refilling their feeder right away, but I've been letting them go longer since the food is still there, just on the floor. OK? They peck around and don't act hungry.

They also all groom (?) their wings. It seems like scratching, but don't know what they could be scratching for. They have clean pine shavings as bedding right now. Normal?

And they are way stinky right now. Bigger birds=more poop. I love having them inside, but starting to be annoyed with the smell. That was just a comment. Haha!

 

[cafarmgirl]

You'll just have to watch the toes of the one bird, it doesn't sound like a problem and probably not much you could do about it anyway.

When chicks wallow around and scratch in their bedding they are trying to dust bathe. Or they may just be scratching and looking for bits of spilled food. Normal chick/chicken behavior.

Yes, chicks are notorious for spilling and wasting a ton of feed. It's fun, they don't have much else to do. You can try putting the feeder on a large, flat piece of wood so that they'll be able to find and eat the spilled feed more easily. Someone on this forum mentioned using the lid of a shoe box to set the feeder in to contain the spill. Seems like a good idea and I plan to try it with my next batch.

They are grooming and picking at their wings because they have feather's growing in and that can be a little irritating and itchy.

So, all sounds normal in your group!

PS: If the one with the "butt problem" is pasty butt, try putting a teaspoon of ACV per quart in their water, usually clears it right up.