Chick health question URGENT!

[tarancara]

This is my first time raising chicks, I also have purchased ducklings. The chicks I selected happened to have only one brown chick. I purchased the ducklings first and then the chicks a few days later. This little brown chick will NOT stay with the chicks, she keeps peeping and peeping until I put her in with the BROWN ducklings. She seems to identify the brown ducks as her "kind" and won't go back with the other chicks- who will not accept her any longer. My question is "Chuck" as we call her chicken /duck.. Is breathing with her mouth open and her chest is palpitating.Like she seems stressed. The temperature is correct, and I have painstakingly made sure that the shavings are dry for her- because we allll know how ducks are with their water. So I'm not sure what the issue is. She is more stressed back with the chicks, but I'm worried that she is getting sick from being in with the ducks who are also about 1/2 a week older than she is. They are very accepting of her.. ANyone have any ideas? My thoughts were maybe she was just stressed by the rambunctious reaction of the ducks to my entering the brooding area..

 

[GammaPoppyLilyFlutter]

Maybe she's thirsty. Try dipping her beak tip in her water dish.

And no worries about her being with the ducks- she probably just recognizes them as her flock

 

[Judy]

The temp may be correct according to a chart, but I suspect that kind of breathing means she is too warm. They do best if the brooder is large enough that it has cooler and warmer areas.

 

[naakte]

1

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

Quote:
Bully chickens are quite common, you can try seperating her from the flock or a week or 2 then putting her back it. This will put her at the bottom of the pecking order and she'll have to work her way back up

 

[Snegurochka]

Quote:
Definitely sounds too hot, especially if she's holding her wings away from her body. Mine were doing this last night; my thermostat said it was 84 in the house. I would turn the heat lamp off for a while, but keep an eye on them to make sure they don't get too cold (they'll huddle together if they are).

Quote:
Agreed with ChickieBooBoo. I take a piece of cardboard that will reach across the brooder, and cut a window in it, which I cover in hardware cloth (you'll have to tape the edges down or use a second piece of cardboard--cloth netting would work too). That way I have a sort of chick jail, in the same box, but they can still see each other. (It only needs to be a small area--you can put some feed and water in milk caps if you need to.) The last eye-pecker I had, had to spend over a week in jail before she was broken of it; the one I have currently was over it in a day. Since I'm not really separating them from the flock, I think it works because they forget how much fun it was to peck at each other.