CitricPrincess
In the Brooder
- Apr 15, 2021
- 2
- 1
- 29
I kinda hate joining a new site and making my first post a plea for help in distress, but here I am.
This sweetheart is known (ever so creatively) as 'Ornament'. She should be a pullet golden brabanter (Sexed by someone I've come to trust knows what he's doing, but she was purchased from a straight run pen at atwoods, so I'm leaving room for any of those labels to be wrong.) The picture in question is a couple weeks old now, and by feather growth and size I wanna say she was ~a week oldish when I brought her home on march 16th (But these are my second batch of chicks, and my first batch were pretty much all buff orpingtons, so I don't have a wide scope of 'this is how they grow' knowledge to estimate this).
I have her in with 7 other chicks, with some variation in breed and age. I have not seen any signs of bullying or not getting along within this group, rather the larger or older of them seem to play big sister in guiding and helping the smallest of them, which makes me happy to see.
Last week, as the weather was excellent and seemed to be staying that way, since the chicks were outgrowing the 50gal plastic tub I use as a brooder, I moved the chicks out into an enclosed area in the coop to kinda soft-meet the rest of the flock, and would allow the chicks out of the enclosure with small openings they could return without the adult birds following, realising after much research of different methods and ideas on introductions that an early, slow intro like this would likely work best with my flock and resources. And it was going really well. My adults currently consist of four orpington hens, one orpington roo, and one Japanese bantam roo. The hens would warningly approach or peck at the chicks, but the chicks were quick to retreat to the pen, and the roos were both working in their own ways to keep the chicks safe, and I was spending significant time in there to keep an eye on things.
This week, though, the weather started dropping again : P I was keeping a close eye on things to make sure the chicks were still comfortable and warm, and for the first couple of days all was good. They were spending a little more time huddled under the heater (I have one of those electric hen brooder heaters for them), but were showing good energy and attitude, the adults seemed completely used to and comfortable with their presence, and all was well.
But last night, I got home from work and checked on them. A few were less than perfect. Nothing, at that point, to really worry me. I have a Marans cross that has a bit of swelling around the eye, from all I can tell from a pecking injury or something. Could be from the adults, not sure. I'm keeping an eye on it, I think the swelling went down from yesterday a bit already. It hasn't effected her behavior or energy at all, and she shows no other symptoms that could lead to something worse, the eye remains open and clear. One of the smallest chicks seemed to be pasting up a bit. And little Ornament was hiding under the brooder, puffed up like she was really filling the chill, and not running out to greet me or the fresh food I delivered like she normally does. So I figure it's getting a little chilly for them, I moved them back inside, though the brooder is a little cramped for them all now, it's not unreasonably so. I clean up the little pasty chick, and as of today she's doing just fine, as I said the one with the swelling is no worse today and might yet be a little better.
Ornament is worse.
She's has no interest in food, very little in water. She seems to have no balance, most the time she tries to walk anywhere, she wobbles and has to catch herself with her wings. Her wings are hanging, catching if she tries to back up. I found her this morning with her wingtip twisted, the feathers caught on the rest so the flight feathers were sticking straight up and she couldn't spread her wing. Got that sorted out, but I think she's gonna do it again every time she moves backwards. She's still puffed up like she's cold, and not leaving the heater. Just the day before yesterday, she was my happiest, friendliest chick. If I walked out to the coop, she was running full speed out of the chick enclosure to climb to my lap and cuddle the minute I sat down. None of the other chicks seem weak or sick in the slightest. I'm worried, and really can't figure out what could be wrong or what to do about it.
TO SUMMERIZE MY RAMBLING: Favorite chick suddenly looses appetite, energy, and balance. All other chicks seem happy and healthy. She's my friendliest by far so I loathe to lose her. Help?
This sweetheart is known (ever so creatively) as 'Ornament'. She should be a pullet golden brabanter (Sexed by someone I've come to trust knows what he's doing, but she was purchased from a straight run pen at atwoods, so I'm leaving room for any of those labels to be wrong.) The picture in question is a couple weeks old now, and by feather growth and size I wanna say she was ~a week oldish when I brought her home on march 16th (But these are my second batch of chicks, and my first batch were pretty much all buff orpingtons, so I don't have a wide scope of 'this is how they grow' knowledge to estimate this).
I have her in with 7 other chicks, with some variation in breed and age. I have not seen any signs of bullying or not getting along within this group, rather the larger or older of them seem to play big sister in guiding and helping the smallest of them, which makes me happy to see.
Last week, as the weather was excellent and seemed to be staying that way, since the chicks were outgrowing the 50gal plastic tub I use as a brooder, I moved the chicks out into an enclosed area in the coop to kinda soft-meet the rest of the flock, and would allow the chicks out of the enclosure with small openings they could return without the adult birds following, realising after much research of different methods and ideas on introductions that an early, slow intro like this would likely work best with my flock and resources. And it was going really well. My adults currently consist of four orpington hens, one orpington roo, and one Japanese bantam roo. The hens would warningly approach or peck at the chicks, but the chicks were quick to retreat to the pen, and the roos were both working in their own ways to keep the chicks safe, and I was spending significant time in there to keep an eye on things.
This week, though, the weather started dropping again : P I was keeping a close eye on things to make sure the chicks were still comfortable and warm, and for the first couple of days all was good. They were spending a little more time huddled under the heater (I have one of those electric hen brooder heaters for them), but were showing good energy and attitude, the adults seemed completely used to and comfortable with their presence, and all was well.
But last night, I got home from work and checked on them. A few were less than perfect. Nothing, at that point, to really worry me. I have a Marans cross that has a bit of swelling around the eye, from all I can tell from a pecking injury or something. Could be from the adults, not sure. I'm keeping an eye on it, I think the swelling went down from yesterday a bit already. It hasn't effected her behavior or energy at all, and she shows no other symptoms that could lead to something worse, the eye remains open and clear. One of the smallest chicks seemed to be pasting up a bit. And little Ornament was hiding under the brooder, puffed up like she was really filling the chill, and not running out to greet me or the fresh food I delivered like she normally does. So I figure it's getting a little chilly for them, I moved them back inside, though the brooder is a little cramped for them all now, it's not unreasonably so. I clean up the little pasty chick, and as of today she's doing just fine, as I said the one with the swelling is no worse today and might yet be a little better.
Ornament is worse.
She's has no interest in food, very little in water. She seems to have no balance, most the time she tries to walk anywhere, she wobbles and has to catch herself with her wings. Her wings are hanging, catching if she tries to back up. I found her this morning with her wingtip twisted, the feathers caught on the rest so the flight feathers were sticking straight up and she couldn't spread her wing. Got that sorted out, but I think she's gonna do it again every time she moves backwards. She's still puffed up like she's cold, and not leaving the heater. Just the day before yesterday, she was my happiest, friendliest chick. If I walked out to the coop, she was running full speed out of the chick enclosure to climb to my lap and cuddle the minute I sat down. None of the other chicks seem weak or sick in the slightest. I'm worried, and really can't figure out what could be wrong or what to do about it.
TO SUMMERIZE MY RAMBLING: Favorite chick suddenly looses appetite, energy, and balance. All other chicks seem happy and healthy. She's my friendliest by far so I loathe to lose her. Help?
