medusine
Chirping
- Jun 9, 2020
- 33
- 9
- 54
Baby chicks are 2 weeks old today. They are each a different breed, so hard to say if size discrepancies are normal or a sign of trouble.
Got a Salmon Faverolle, a Spotted Sussex, and a Golden Laced Wyandotte who are each noticeably smaller than the other 3- Buff Brahma, Black Copper Marans, and Partridge Olive-Egger (believe that's likely a Cream Legbar cross?), those have grown much bigger and quite a bit of feathering.
The 3 littles have enough feathering to flap their way up out and (mostly) back into the cage when I open the door.
The one I'm worried about, the Spotted Sussex (Dottie), seems pretty lively in that she comes a-running (hoping for a treat I think) and is the least skittish in terms of letting me pet her and pick her up.
Concerns: She peeps a lot- not constantly, but periodically will do the loud high peeping for a while. She's been doing that for at least several days (maybe since the beginning, I had a hard time telling who was complaining at first). There are periods when they're all happily scratch & pecking or at the feeder or sleeping, and she is quiet. But other times when everyone else is quiet/busy, and she's standing on her own, peeping loudly.
She has long wing feathers and a nice little tail forming, like her bigger flockmates, but just looks littler and thinner than the rest. I checked everyone's crops for the first time today, not knowing what feels "normal" vs "problem". Compared to the rest, Dottie's crop feels larger & firmer-maybe just cause she's smaller overall? (Also couldn't find the crop on Lemon, the Salmon Fav, but she's terrified of me so it may just have been because it is harder to examine her. Flips her lid whenever I pick her up.)
I do have them in wood shavings, which I'm now realizing some people advise against for babies because it can get eaten & cause a blockage. They're eating a starter feed that has whole seeds/grains in it, so they get grit. I've seen stories on here that a chick can gorge themselves on grit and get stopped up.
No pasty butt. Definitely isn't chilly - we're having such a heat wave that I've turned the heat plate off. Giving fresh water regularly, added electrolytes today.
I've checked her crop a couple more times and it still seems about the same - but maybe she's just eating a lot because she's got more growing to catch up on? I'll remove food at bed time tonight so I can see if it empties overnight. Just wanting reassurances if there's a chance she's just peeping because she's bored/lonely.
Follow-up... how the heck do you get oil into a baby chick's mouth?
Got a Salmon Faverolle, a Spotted Sussex, and a Golden Laced Wyandotte who are each noticeably smaller than the other 3- Buff Brahma, Black Copper Marans, and Partridge Olive-Egger (believe that's likely a Cream Legbar cross?), those have grown much bigger and quite a bit of feathering.
The 3 littles have enough feathering to flap their way up out and (mostly) back into the cage when I open the door.
The one I'm worried about, the Spotted Sussex (Dottie), seems pretty lively in that she comes a-running (hoping for a treat I think) and is the least skittish in terms of letting me pet her and pick her up.
Concerns: She peeps a lot- not constantly, but periodically will do the loud high peeping for a while. She's been doing that for at least several days (maybe since the beginning, I had a hard time telling who was complaining at first). There are periods when they're all happily scratch & pecking or at the feeder or sleeping, and she is quiet. But other times when everyone else is quiet/busy, and she's standing on her own, peeping loudly.
She has long wing feathers and a nice little tail forming, like her bigger flockmates, but just looks littler and thinner than the rest. I checked everyone's crops for the first time today, not knowing what feels "normal" vs "problem". Compared to the rest, Dottie's crop feels larger & firmer-maybe just cause she's smaller overall? (Also couldn't find the crop on Lemon, the Salmon Fav, but she's terrified of me so it may just have been because it is harder to examine her. Flips her lid whenever I pick her up.)
I do have them in wood shavings, which I'm now realizing some people advise against for babies because it can get eaten & cause a blockage. They're eating a starter feed that has whole seeds/grains in it, so they get grit. I've seen stories on here that a chick can gorge themselves on grit and get stopped up.
No pasty butt. Definitely isn't chilly - we're having such a heat wave that I've turned the heat plate off. Giving fresh water regularly, added electrolytes today.
I've checked her crop a couple more times and it still seems about the same - but maybe she's just eating a lot because she's got more growing to catch up on? I'll remove food at bed time tonight so I can see if it empties overnight. Just wanting reassurances if there's a chance she's just peeping because she's bored/lonely.
Follow-up... how the heck do you get oil into a baby chick's mouth?
