Hi,
One of our new chicks that we're holding for someone else is acting a bit strange and has me worried. For the past couple days it has been falling behind the rest of the chicks, not interested in running around or foraging much inside the hen house. It only joins the rest of them to cuddle up and sleep, but the more aggressive chicks just peck at it. The rest of the time it just stands around on its own, seemingly asleep. It doesn't struggle much at all when I pick it up, falls asleep the second I put my hands over it and hold it against me. When I put it down it just stays where ever I leave it.
This morning I threw a couple worms in for the chicks and while they all went mad fighting over them, this chick showed no interest. When I took it aside and directly offered it a small piece of a worm, it completely ignored it save for one weak peck.
Also, when I opened the door to the hen house I let in a little triangle of light and this chick went to stand in it for warmth. None of the others seem to be cold and are all actually normally. Yesterday was blistering in the 90s and today it's quite a bit cooler in the 70s and windy, so I don't have the hen house as open today.
Am I worrying too much? Is there some way I can help this chick get better?
One of our new chicks that we're holding for someone else is acting a bit strange and has me worried. For the past couple days it has been falling behind the rest of the chicks, not interested in running around or foraging much inside the hen house. It only joins the rest of them to cuddle up and sleep, but the more aggressive chicks just peck at it. The rest of the time it just stands around on its own, seemingly asleep. It doesn't struggle much at all when I pick it up, falls asleep the second I put my hands over it and hold it against me. When I put it down it just stays where ever I leave it.
This morning I threw a couple worms in for the chicks and while they all went mad fighting over them, this chick showed no interest. When I took it aside and directly offered it a small piece of a worm, it completely ignored it save for one weak peck.
Also, when I opened the door to the hen house I let in a little triangle of light and this chick went to stand in it for warmth. None of the others seem to be cold and are all actually normally. Yesterday was blistering in the 90s and today it's quite a bit cooler in the 70s and windy, so I don't have the hen house as open today.
Am I worrying too much? Is there some way I can help this chick get better?
