Chick not quite right...or NOT? Ideas please.

[HootnHoller8]

I have been thinking I'd ask about one of our chicks, but then decide that maybe she's just a little different -- personality-wise or some other way -- but not necessarily sick or similar.

Probably about a week and a half ago I noticed our then ~ 2 1/2 week old Rhode Island seemed kind of 'off'. ..seemed like she was often in a corner or near a wall of brooder just facing the wall, & it seemed to me that she looked not so bright-eyed as the others...maybe even slightly swollen around eyes. I decided that the "eye thing" may just be how she appears to me due more to coloring around eyes. She eats, drinks, sleeps. Several, if not all of our 11 chicks, have 'runny' poop, but from reading I thought maybe this could be normal. I am adding some pro-biotic to their water at times, thought not necessarily both of the 2 times I change it daily. I also went to using mostly hard water as a gentleman at the company that makes this brand of feed said softened water (particularly meaning the salt in it I think) can change the pH of the gut & affect digestion. I still put some hot softened water in just to bring the temp. of the hard water up a little ...so as not to chill them.

Other: wondered about something being in crop earlier on, so kind of massaged that area. I don't know much about this, but also starting offering them small amount of chick grit at nighttime water & feed change. We laugh...that act like it's a treat.

Anyway, chicks are now just about 4 weeks old & I still can't decide if it's 'personality' or something else. We try to handle chickens daily, but occasionally miss a day of getting them out & handling. One daughter thought yesterday that this RIR doesn't get down off your hand quite the same as other chicks...just kind of plops forward as opposed to hopping. I will have to watch this more, but have wondered about strength in legs. I do NOT see any obvious problem with legs or feet. She will allow us to pick her up, but at times will turn her head and peck at your hand as you're trying; she is the only one that does this. This made me wonder if she was in some sort of discomfort.

Nothing I can pinpoint...maybe I'm over-analyzing. Also, is it okay at this point to put some grass or weeds in brooder to break up boredom? I think I could probably take out in the grass for a little while...when/IF it's dries up & I can figure a "playpen" type scenario for them. Oh, guessing outdoor temps at this age should be 70 or a little above, correct?

Thanks so much! ... from cool & rainy Northeast Indiana

 

[rapturecidal]

you said she had something wrong with one or both of her eyes?
does she run into things? are her eyes whitish or darker, does she blink alot more than the rest? can she find the food and water on her own, or does she need help.

because she could be blind. i have a deaf and mute rooster. so it could be possible. though there are alot of people here who know alot more than me. but that's my two cents.

watch her and she what she does to find out if she could be blind.

 

[HootnHoller8]

I thought of eye problems/vision being a problem. The eye itself does not seem discolored or anything...she just looks kind of 'sleep-eyed' to me a lot. (Though maybe it is when she is trying to rest, eh?) I try to compare her to the other RIR who is also light in coloring around the eyes -- just there natural coloring. Sometimes this one just doesn't seem as bright-eyed...so I also considered whether she might have an energy issue. Will continue to monitor, but welcome ideas to look at/for. Maybe it is nothing.

Side NOTE (Unrelated) Technical Difficulties: I keep getting this message when I hit reply (or 'subscribe' also):
AJAX response unable to be parsed as valid JSON object.
I looked in troubleshooting, cleared cache etc. from past hour, still doing the same thing. I'm not sure who to contact or how to further troubleshoot.