chicken mama of six
In the Brooder
- Dec 13, 2024
- 3
- 0
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Hi, I'm new to raising chicks but have 6 adult hens that were given to me this past fall. I'm familiar sorta with grown hens molting but never raised chicks.
I have a 5 wk old Cochin who for about a few days seems lethargic and stays under brooder plate heater. She comes out eats, drinks electrolytes, maybe stay out briefly but then returns to under heater. She stays in this upright hunched posture, neck tucked in, feathers fluffed out even under brooder plate. She barely moves and she also doesn't lay down. I am very worried about her. I have several other the same age and I know they're all molting their downy feathers so I assume she is too but she looks so awful like she is dying. I've read in a few places that this can be all normal for a chick who is molting. I also had an adult hen look like this for almost two weeks while she molted so I am assuming molting but I worry about her. She lets me hold her and hand feed her. I have been giving her some very small amounts of sugar water mixture and she drinks a little and will eat some of her food soaked in it. I was able to get her to eat a little bit of a scrambled egg this afternoon.
So anyone ever witness similar and know if she is molting and maybe she is just more sensitive then others ?
Does anyone have any advice how to help her even if it is molting?
Any suggestions or advice would be greatly greatly appreciated!! I attached a picture idk if that helps anyone or not.
Thank you in advance for any advice!
I have a 5 wk old Cochin who for about a few days seems lethargic and stays under brooder plate heater. She comes out eats, drinks electrolytes, maybe stay out briefly but then returns to under heater. She stays in this upright hunched posture, neck tucked in, feathers fluffed out even under brooder plate. She barely moves and she also doesn't lay down. I am very worried about her. I have several other the same age and I know they're all molting their downy feathers so I assume she is too but she looks so awful like she is dying. I've read in a few places that this can be all normal for a chick who is molting. I also had an adult hen look like this for almost two weeks while she molted so I am assuming molting but I worry about her. She lets me hold her and hand feed her. I have been giving her some very small amounts of sugar water mixture and she drinks a little and will eat some of her food soaked in it. I was able to get her to eat a little bit of a scrambled egg this afternoon.
So anyone ever witness similar and know if she is molting and maybe she is just more sensitive then others ?
Does anyone have any advice how to help her even if it is molting?
Any suggestions or advice would be greatly greatly appreciated!! I attached a picture idk if that helps anyone or not.
Thank you in advance for any advice!