Chick standing, not eating, will not lay down

[tamiep]

Hi All!

This is my first set of chick, ever. I got them from Rural King last Friday and I had to get 6 because they will not let you get less. This chick is a California White and this chick was the boss until yesterday. She's does have a tendency to want to sleep standing up, for some reason, but now all she does is stand and act like she's going to fall asleep. She looses her balance and catches herself with he little wings, I guess that's when she actually doses off. Here are things I did recently that I'm wondering if it make things happen:

On Sunday it was over 80 degrees and I took them outside (most are a week old, one is 2-3 weeks old, this chick is was a week old at the time), I had the heat lamp on, too. I have a cage that I can take the bottom out and they were able to peck the grass. I noticed this chick pick up a round black thing that looked like a seed of some kind. It was about the size of a small pea. Before I could grab it, she swallowed it. It was 4 days until she started acting weird.

I also washed their butts yesterday, she was already acting funny, and a few of the chicks had poop on their butts, so I get some warm water and wiped them off. I kept the heat lamp on until I was certain they were all dry. Then I turned it off, because I had read that as long as the room is warm (the are in my house right now), you did not need it after a week old and that the reason they had poop on them might be because they are overheated.

All the rest of them seem fine. I know that in the tub next to the California Whites they had 3 sick chicks, but I have no idea what was wrong with them. Anyway, as of last night she is pooping and the poop looks normal, I don't know today because I have not been in there when she goes. I do notice that the others have runny poop with some clear stuff around it.

I am feeding them the medicated crumble and water with electrolytes.

Any thoughts?

 

[tamiep]

When I refer to the "tub" next to the California Whites, I was talking about at the store when I bought them.

 

[tamiep]

Update: I notice that she is drinking. Poop is stuck to her, again. I'm going to run to Farm & Fleet to pick up some probiotic. Do I mix that with the electrolyte?

 

[tamiep]

No advice?

 

[appps]

Because they are only a week old I'd put the lamp back on but make sure they have plenty of room to get away from it. You can turn it off when you are sure they aren't spending any part of the day or night under it. They will know if they need the warmth and week old chicks would still be sleeping under their nice warm mum.

I have no idea on the standing one sorry. But do a search for pasty butt. It sounds like that's what yours have if you are having to clean them up all the time. If you have them on wood shaving remove and just put on paper or something for a couple of days. Chicks can eat shavings and give themselves pasty butt.

As for the probiotics I have a hen with a slow crop and the vet has put her on 1/2 teaspoon probiotics per day. So if a full grown hen of about 2kg is half a teaspoon your little chicks won't be very much at all.

 

[tamiep]

Hello. Thank you for the response. I put the lamp back on and had to adjust it a few times because some of the chicks were panting. I only had it off for a few hours and it was pretty warm in the room.

The chick I wrote about died sometime early this morning. I didn't notice right away because the other chicks were laying on her. I thought they were just all sleeping. She was only very peppy and sassy those first couple of days, but did have that weird thing about falling asleep standing up and almost falling over from the very start.

Well, now we'll bury her.