Baby chicken has big bump on neck, not as active as other babies

[Tatuana]

The way you talk it sounds like a a Duckling not a chick..

Now THAT would be the best surprise ever.

That's her, and that's as tall as she stands. (It's not her trying to balance in my hand)

Compared to the other two who stand like this.

Ignore the cardboard brooder. We had a cat accident and broke the last one. (She fell off a table, took a giant vase with her, and both landed on the brooder) making a new one ASAP...

I had to order in chick feeders, so they were living out of salsa lids. I cleaned that last night, I swear. Boogity was prone to laying in the water, and people said to use marbles so he wouldn't drown. I've no idea when they're safe to be around open water without a drowning risk, so I kept it.

This is the new one two minutes before I cleaned their cage. You can see it's about twice as deep. I think they're surprised at the depth? They *seem* yo be figuring it out, but head dunking still happens with all three.

 

[chickens really]

Now THAT would be the best surprise ever.

View attachment 1661413

That's her, and that's as tall as she stands. (It's not her trying to balance in my hand)

Compared to the other two who stand like this.

View attachment 1661425

Ignore the cardboard brooder. We had a cat accident and broke the last one. (She fell off a table, took a giant vase with her, and both landed on the brooder) making a new one ASAP...



View attachment 1661428

I had to order in chick feeders, so they were living out of salsa lids. I cleaned that last night, I swear. Boogity was prone to laying in the water, and people said to use marbles so he wouldn't drown. I've no idea when they're safe to be around open water without a drowning risk, so I kept it.

View attachment 1661430

This is the new one two minutes before I cleaned their cage. You can see it's about twice as deep. I think they're surprised at the depth? They *seem* yo be figuring it out, but head dunking still happens with all three.

Awesome..They will figure it out. I Broody raise Chicks and they survive the outdoors and do great.

 

[Tatuana]

Quick update. Invi perked right up and is now second in command! Still tiny, but better. He now tries to bully Oogity, who is twice his size.

We're still working on the butt poo issue. Cleaning it off Invi today pulled a few tiny feathers, even though I was very gentle. He also keeps pecking at under his wings. Hoping that doesn't mean he has bowl problems.

We also had our first small scare today. Sunday is feed the gecko day. I was telling the kids how chickens will eat mealworms. One of the kids dropped a mealworm in the chicken cage "by accident." And that's how I spent an hour researching what age baby chicks can have mealworms, when to give them grit, how much grit to give them, and watching the chickens go very, very crazy. You think they had found drugs or something. Still not totally sure on grit, but they seem okay!

 

[chickens really]

One little worm won't hurt them..

 

[Wyorp Rock]

https://www.dropbox.com/s/zjhrzaa9q0qxa1b/VID_20190201_234820456.mp4?dl=0 This is what she does every time she gets into my hands. She also shivers a lot?

Will I checked on her again today and the bump is gone! It was a large soft bump. It didn't seem to bother her. It was more on her chest than neck, so I didn't think it was her throat. Maybe it was? She still has a really big chest, but it's evenly puffed now.

I've been working on the goo on their behinds foe two days. When it's not a liquid it's just stuck. Like they sat while they pooped? It's always stuck there.

She's taken up eating the paper towels... Ah, should I tell her not to and remove them? Or should I just let her go? They seem to be a favored treat now. (She eats a crumb or two and then goes to bed)
I DID change out her water dish to stop that. It's now a proper baby water dish. Which brings up a second really quick question if that's okay (I don't want to go too off topic, sorry if I am!). The new water dish is deeper than she's used to. She's taken up shoving her entire head in and then jumping out in shock that there's water.

We're still working on the butt poo issue.

What type of heat source are you providing? In all your photos/video I don't see any heat.
You mention goo on their butts - you need to get that cleaned off. Run some warm water and wash their bums. If they are cold, then that can cause some pasty butt, just the same as if they are too hot. Once you have the bums cleaned off, apply a little coconut oil or vaseline to the vent (butt) to help keep the poop from sticking.

The lump that you were worried about, was her crop. I could clearly see that in your video, your baby had been eating. It will go up and down over the course of the day when she is eating/drinking.

I very much recommend that you offer some chick grit free choice to your babies. Even if they are only eating chick starter - make that available please.

Your water station if fine, you can add the marbles if you wish, just wash them well along with the station when you change the water out. You may also want to raise the water station just a little. I usually put it on a block of wood.

Hope all is going well for you, please let us know how they are doing.

 

[Tatuana]

Posting on mobile and it messes up quotes. But I do have a heating pad/cave setup someone suggested. Right now it's not as covered as it should be since I'm still building a new brooder. (Had to order in some supplies. Will be done this week) it's a temp control heating pad I used for my elder cat, some mesh with stuff for a shape, and covered in no fray felt type fabric. I have a second piece draped over the top to create the "cave" and as a cover for poo.

Invi ended up getting her tiny little butt washed off today. The other two responded to vasaline just fine. She got washed, gooped, and tucked in to bed. She still picks at her belly/under wings a lot. I'm monitoring her to see if maybe it's just a quirk. The other two don't peck at themselves nearly as much, if ever. Maybe she's just a clean type of bird?


I figured that little bump was okay, but it's always better safe than sorry. Now that I know what it is I gently tease her for being a little foodie bird. She seems to have slowed down on the food pigging.

I went ahead and bought some baby chicken grit for them. I assume I just mix some into their food? Is there like a set amount they should get?


They all seem to be happier today with clean booties and a clean cage! They're trying to jump out of the brooder already. The only "problem" is that I had to move my mealworm farm to another room. Whenever they see me near it they go freaking nuts. I haven't found good info on whether or not they can pig out or if I should feed just one or two a day, so aside from the "accident" they haven't had any. They're going nuts!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Invi ended up getting her tiny little butt washed off today. The other two responded to vasaline just fine. She got washed, gooped, and tucked in to bed. She still picks at her belly/under wings a lot. I'm monitoring her to see if maybe it's just a quirk. The other two don't peck at themselves nearly as much, if ever. Maybe she's just a clean type of bird?

If you can get a video of her picking at herself that would be good. She may just be preening, chicks this age start losing their fluff and pin feathers start coming in, this can be itchy, but it's better to take a look just to be sure

I went ahead and bought some baby chicken grit for them. I assume I just mix some into their food? Is there like a set amount they should get?

Offer the grit free choice, don't mix with the feed. Place it a separate little dish or scatter it, they will pick up what they need.

Whenever they see me near it they go freaking nuts. I haven't found good info on whether or not they can pig out or if I should feed just one or two a day, so aside from the "accident" they haven't had any. They're going nuts!

They can have a couple mealworms apiece each day, I don't see any harm. Just don't overdo it.

Cute babies btw! Sounds like they are doing good.

 

[Tatuana]

If you can get a video of her picking at herself that would be good. She may just be preening, chicks this age start losing their fluff and pin feathers start coming in, this can be itchy, but it's better to take a look just to be sure

You knew as soon as you said that she'd stop! She hasn't done it since. Her wing feathers have come in, so that might be it. She's happier with her behind washed and grit to eat. I just put it in a small pile in their cage. They ate that instead of lunch. I guess whatever makes the cuties happy!

They can have a couple mealworms apiece each day, I don't see any harm. Just don't overdo it.

Feeding them mealworms has become my new favorite thing EVER. One grabs it, and then they spend a minute and a half running around screaming and running from the others. The kids giggle so much watching them. I've already trained both my kids and the baby chicks to feed them out of the palm of their hand. Invi has gone from hating my hand to loving it.


Fingers crossed I don't get any more surprises. I can't really find a guide for when to start letting them outside, feeding them veggies or whatever, etc. So I'm winging it with a lot of questions. I think I'm looking up the wrong things. I just go by how they act rather than what they're supposed to do. Oogity Boogity is already trying to fly and jump out of the brooder. He's worryingly smart.


Thank you guys so much for being willing to put up with my nervousness and silly questions! We've just kind of jumped into this and are all a bit out of our depth. For some reason I thought they'd be easy like my lizard....

 

[Wyorp Rock]

You knew as soon as you said that she'd stop! She hasn't done it since. Her wing feathers have come in, so that might be it. She's happier with her behind washed and grit to eat. I just put it in a small pile in their cage. They ate that instead of lunch. I guess whatever makes the cuties happy!



Feeding them mealworms has become my new favorite thing EVER. One grabs it, and then they spend a minute and a half running around screaming and running from the others. The kids giggle so much watching them. I've already trained both my kids and the baby chicks to feed them out of the palm of their hand. Invi has gone from hating my hand to loving it.


Fingers crossed I don't get any more surprises. I can't really find a guide for when to start letting them outside, feeding them veggies or whatever, etc. So I'm winging it with a lot of questions. I think I'm looking up the wrong things. I just go by how they act rather than what they're supposed to do. Oogity Boogity is already trying to fly and jump out of the brooder. He's worryingly smart.


Thank you guys so much for being willing to put up with my nervousness and silly questions! We've just kind of jumped into this and are all a bit out of our depth. For some reason I thought they'd be easy like my lizard....

Sounds like things are going good! Keep away is so fun! I'm glad your kids are enjoying the chicks!
Ahhhh....guides and timelines That will open a can of worms LOL No one does it the same, you will get 1000's of opinions on that.
I will tell you what I do, for chicks anything that is not chick starter I consider a "treat". I limit treats to around 5% of their daily intake, they need their nutrition. The mealworms are good, just not too many I also like to give chicks scrambled eggs or hard boiled egg. I DO put something in the brooder like a fairly slick slice of cucumber, 1 finely chopped up grape, a slice of apple, a small leaf of kale or even a sprig of broccolli for them to pick at. They won't really consume the veggies/fruit, but they will investigate/taste. These are things they will have as they get older, so I introduce early. Once they mature, then I loosen up treats a little to 5-10% of daily intake (scratch, fruit or veggies).

As for when to go outside being February, that is tricky! A lot depends on your weather. Mine get grit first thing, but I do put a pan of dirt in the brooder too. Usually with a plug of sod or clump of dandelion. This keeps them busy and chicks LOVE to take dirt baths. They will make a dusty mess so think about that. I don't normally keep mine in the house for more than a week, but they still get some dirt, then they go outside to the grow out pen with a heating pad system. But this is usually April-May so the weather is nicer.

I hope all continues to go well for you!