Flock is balding??

[Aris2004]

Good Day!
After days of nursing one of my chicks back to health and putting them back in the coop, I noticed that a lot of the others have bald spots or feathers that look like they've dried up hard. A few have a pasty butt yet thats treatable. The little guys only sleep a lot or huddle under the bulb togheter leaving noone out, which is about it. No extreme behavioural changes.
They are roughly a week old and I am afraid that it's something I don't know how to treat. Any input would be very much appreciated!

 

[SmiYa0126]

Can you post pictures?

 

[Aris2004]

Can you post pictures?

Here are some. The more I look at them the more I fear a disease or so struck them

A little note to add: We picked them up from a animal pet store days ago. There were in a little shabby carton box next to the cashier (while it was very hot outside) abandoned by the people that ordered them.

 

[NatJ]

The little guys only sleep a lot or huddle under the bulb togheter leaving noone out, which is about it. No extreme behavioural changes.

It is normal for chicks to sleep a lot. But they should also spend some time running around, eating and playing and doing chicken things.

If they huddle under the bulb all the time, and never spread out to do other things, then they are too cold.

a lot of the others have bald spots or feathers that look like they've dried up hard. A few have a pasty butt yet thats treatable.

Obviously treat the pasty butt.
For the "bald spots," I'm not noticing any big problems in the photos. It is fairly normal for chicks to have some bald-looking spots as they get too big for their down and the feathers haven't fully grown in yet.

When you say feathers look like they've dried up hard, do you maybe mean the ones that look like little sticks as they are growing in? That's normal, and they will spread out and look like feathers in not too many more days. If you are talking about bits of down sort of dried or clumped together, that happens sometimes, but I don't think it's a big deal at the level I see in your photos. It should fix itself as they grow, get better at preening, and get real feathers.

They are roughly a week old and I am afraid that it's something I don't know how to treat. Any input would be very much appreciated!

Proper temperature, unlimited access to water and appropriate food, and a large dry brooder will prevent or treat most chick problems. (Yes, a few things-- like pasty butt-- do need treating, but a few days of the right conditions will usually keep it from coming back.)

 

[Aris2004]

It is normal for chicks to sleep a lot. But they should also spend some time running around, eating and playing and doing chicken things.

If they huddle under the bulb all the time, and never spread out to do other things, then they are too cold.


Obviously treat the pasty butt.
For the "bald spots," I'm not noticing any big problems in the photos. It is fairly normal for chicks to have some bald-looking spots as they get too big for their down and the feathers haven't fully grown in yet.

When you say feathers look like they've dried up hard, do you maybe mean the ones that look like little sticks as they are growing in? That's normal, and they will spread out and look like feathers in not too many more days. If you are talking about bits of down sort of dried or clumped together, that happens sometimes, but I don't think it's a big deal at the level I see in your photos. It should fix itself as they grow, get better at preening, and get real feathers.


Proper temperature, unlimited access to water and appropriate food, and a large dry brooder will prevent or treat most chick problems. (Yes, a few things-- like pasty butt-- do need treating, but a few days of the right conditions will usually keep it from coming back.)

Thank you so much!

 

[SmiYa0126]

Agree with @NatJ!