HELP 6 day old chick loosing fuzz and not gaining weight.....

[joann]

I am unsure of breed, This one was part of an order 25 Heavy assoc. pullets. Weight unknown. He is acting fine a little on brave side. Eating well and drinking. Doesn't look as if he is getting picked on. It looks as if he is doing it himelf. 24 others don't have this. there is no bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. This one has been small from the begining. I haven't given him any treatment. I want to treat completely myself. The cage is an 1/2 in plwood with 1/2 by 1/2 wire. The chicks are about 2 inches off saw dust (no cedar).

Can any one advise on what to do?

thanks Joann

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

I'd try giving him some polyvisol drops and maybe get some of the avian electrolytes to put in the water. It looks like something nutritional...or maybe mites??

 

[sammi]

what kind of saw dust?
where does it come from and what woods are in it?

 

[joann]

poplar, maple, oak... whatever we run through the shop...

 

[panner123]

Saw dust is to fine as a rule for chicks. They eat or try to eat everything in sight. The dust could be blocking up the chicks sytem. Try going with either pine chips or straw and see what happens. You might even need to go with striaght aper until the chick is a little bigger. It could be just the chick.

 

[joann]

The cage is an 1/2 in plwood with 1/2 by 1/2 wire. The chicks are about 2 inches off saw dust (no cedar).

They are not in the dust and cann't eat it either, 2" above . but I will keep that in mind thanks

 

[speckledhen]

Joann, sent you a PM back. Those are not Barred Rock chicks. Wish I could tell you what the problem was, never saw patchy fuzz like that, but some do feather out slowly and lose fuzz faster than they get feathers. I'd supplement their chick starter with chopped hardboiled eggs for extra animal protein, and give some to them every day for awhile.