Chick acts "drunk" can't figure out what's wrong??

[jbs]

Megan, I'm glad that your chick is doing ok. There are too many sad endings on this thread.

Murfmagic, one thing about chicks is that they're filthy. For a week or so in the house it's not so bad, but their scratching around creates an incredible amount of dust which will cover everything - and I mean everything. When I finally got my chicks out of my dining room, I had to vacuum walls and ceilings, wash curtains and anything else that could be thrown in the wash. The dust isn't just dust, it's got their manure in it so it's pretty unsanitary. I've wiped down just about everything that can be cleaned but we still aren't quite ready to eat in our dining room yet. If I ever brood chicks in the house again I'm going to do it in a bathroom or somewhere easier to clean. But better yet, I'll brood in warmer weather and will keep them on a porch, the barn, or partition off part of the coop. Anywhere but in my house. Good luck.

 

[murfmagic]

jbs...I will be receiving my chicks sometime in June, so should a week in my house suffice if the temperature is good outside? and if I put them out what about a night when it gets cooler should I bring them back in. Any help would great. I don't want to kill them due to ignorance.

 

[jbs]

Murfmagic, I'm sure that you'll do fine. The chicks should be at 95 degrees the first week, then decrease 5 degrees a week until you reach the outside temperature. Once they feather out at 4-6 weeks old, you don't have to worry about it so much.

I brooded my first batch of chicks in July, they were in the house for 2 weeks and made a complete mess of my dining room, but nothing close to what this last batch of chicks did in 7 weeks. Goodness. At 2 weeks I moved them to a stock tank on my porch and I continued to use the heat lamp on cold nights. We had a few very cold nights where I covered most of the brooder with a moving blanket to hold in the heat. Our coop wasn't ready until they were 5 weeks old or I would have moved them out sooner. We did make a small run so they could be outside on nice days. I don't feed medicated feed and was concerned about coccidiosis, especially brooding them in warm weather. I've read here on BYC to try to get them exposed to the soil as soon as possible. When I first got my chciks I gave them a week to get over shipping stress, then started putting soil in the brooder a handful or so at a time. We were able to give them time in the run starting at about 3 weeks. I'd just carry them out and put them in the run during the day then back in the tank at night. We have cats and predators here, so I didn't let them out unless someone was home and could watch them.

 

[4acrenest]

Hi all! I have read through the feed, which found when I searched for help with wobbly chick... I have a 4 week old who is doing the wobbly on her feet thing (for about 3 days now) but eating and drinking, she chirps when we hold her and try's to get around. We have separated her from the flock of 37 (!) and she seems fine other than the wobble.... Inicially i though she had been trampled on when i changed their bedding on the weekend... but now im not so sure. So my question from those who have been through this, do I try the vitamin E and selenium or wait it out? I am not one for putting anyone down :-(. I don't even know how to do that! But don't want them suffering either. Any advise is welcomed.

 

[Megan Amber]

I would really go ahead and administer the vitamins now, Mine is still alive and well, but she is still extremely wobbly and "flappy" Good luck with yours, I hope she makes it!

 

[murfmagic]

I just wanted to let those of you who were following this post that I now have my chicks. It will be a week on Saturday that they are in the basement and doing fine. I have four Silver Laced Wyandottes - female, 4 Buff Orpington - straight run and 3 White Plymoth Rock - 2 females and one male.(In order to get the females I had to take the male.) The SLW are really quite ugly at 3 weeks of age, good thing they are really quite pretty when mature. I'm thrilled and can't wait to get them outside for day excursions

 

[Megan Amber]

Oh boy! Congratulations murfmagic! I am so happy for you!

 

[Beetlegreen]

My Wellsummer Rooster is doing the same thing. I've been feeding him Gatorade by the drop and I gave him some blueberries. But he's still not doing anything but laying there.

 

[Megan Amber]

My Wellsummer Rooster is doing the same thing. I've been feeding him Gatorade by the drop and I gave him some blueberries. But he's still not doing anything but laying there.

Aww, I'm sorry, i still don't know what's going on, our hen that had it that I thought was doing better recently died, and then another in the flock had it and she died as well. I'm wondering it's not some kind of neurological parasite thing.

 

[Beetlegreen]

Aww, I'm sorry, i still don't know what's going on, our hen that had it that I thought was doing better recently died, and then another in the flock had it and she died as well. I'm wondering it's not some kind of neurological parasite thing.

Neurological parasite?

He's not dead.
He's still alive.
Poor Fireball