Coturnix chick grooming questions

[threeepeat]

Hi everyone, my first ever coturnix chicks are just a week old. I'd like to ask if their behaviour is in the range of normal.

- There is no fighting (although there was one very pecky chick in the incubator, I see no pecking now)
- They eat frequently. It's rapid cycle of sleep, eat, explore, and repeat.
- They seem to start flying by Day 4. I think could fly out of storage tote brooder.
- They are grooming frequently and today a couple started scratching their heads with their feet, like the classic dog scratching it's head with its paw.
- They all seem to have a bald patch behind their heads, between their shoulders (if they have shoulder) that is only revealed when they turn and stretch to reach back to groom their wings etc.

I guess I'm mostly concerned about the grooming issues. Is this normal behaviour? I can't imagine any mites are in there unless they came in from the pine shavings or the feed.

Thoughts?

 

[007Sean]

Normal behavior....nothing to worry about.

 

[le_bwah]

The grooming is totally normal! As their feathers come in more fully and they start removing the keratin around their pin feathers, you can expect even more preening. I can imagine it's quite an itchy process.

All my chicks had a "sparse" spot between the shoulders, too, and all grew out of it. It's also normal for birds to be a little bare in the "underwing" area. Best of luck, enjoy your chicks!

 

[threeepeat]

Thanks guys!