itchy 2 day old chicks

[Sallys Mom]

ITCHY 2 DAY OLD CHICKS!! They arrived yesterday from Meyer Hatchery. Within a few hours in the brooder, all 3 started itching like crazy. I thoroughly cleaned the crate they are in. It's lined with an absorbant pad, a nice later of freshly opened pine shavings and then 2 layers of paper towels. I'm very perplexed. aside from the itching, they are eating, drinking, pooping and sleeping.

 

[realsis]

Could they be allergic to anything at all?think carwefully. What was the box used for before brooding? What brand food are you feeding? I got ten chicks from Meyer two weeks ago none of mine are doing that. What heat source are you using? Are you adding anything to their water?? ( vitamins, probotic, supplements of any sort?? Have they been outside yet? Just trying to weigh all possibilities

 

[Sallys Mom]

Could they be allergic to anything at all?think carwefully. What was the box used for before brooding? What brand food are you feeding? I got ten chicks from Meyer two weeks ago none of mine are doing that. What heat source are you using? Are you adding anything to their water?? ( vitamins, probotic, supplements of any sort?? Have they been outside yet? Just trying to weigh all possibilities

The crate they are in is a spare dog crate. I cleaned it thoroughly. I have cardboard covered with press n deal along the sides. They are on Dumor chick starter/grower. I add a pinch of "Vitamins & Electrolytes plus" to their water. The crate tray is lined with an absorbant blue hospital pad. Then there is,a layer of shavings, then two layers of bounty paper towels. I'm using the electric hen as the heat source. I'm going to remove them and put DE on the shavings and recover with the paper towels. In the meantime, I'm going to freeze some shavings for a couple of days.

 

[realsis]

That's almost EXACTLY the way I'm brooding mine! I'm using a dog crate, shavings, paper towels over the shavings, and a Brinsea brooder. Very much the same..with the exception of the vitamins, however I am adding a probotic to the water...where did you purchase the shavings? Mine are packaged from tractor supply. Do you think it's possible that a bug of sort was packaged in the shavings? Another thought is allergy to the vitamins? Or maybe the pads? I think they do put something on the pads if they are sterilized in a chemical autoclave. You might want to look into that right away. It could be they are having a allergy to that additive? This is going to basically be a process of eliminating things to find the cause. I'm sorry I can't be more help but please keep us posted. Poor babies, I sure hope you get it figured out soon!! Sorry this is happening! Hopefully you can figure it out soon.

 

[Sallys Mom]

That's almost EXACTLY the way I'm brooding mine! I'm using a dog crate, shavings, paper towels over the shavings, and a Brinsea brooder. Very much the same..with the exception of the vitamins, however I am adding a probotic to the water...where did you purchase the shavings? Mine are packaged from tractor supply. Do you think it's possible that a bug of sort was packaged in the shavings? Another thought is allergy to the vitamins? Or maybe the pads? I think they do put something on the pads if they are sterilized in a chemical autoclave. You might want to look into that right away. It could be they are having a allergy to that additive? This is going to basically be a process of eliminating things to find the cause. I'm sorry I can't be more help but please keep us posted. Poor babies, I sure hope you get it figured out soon!! Sorry this is happening! Hopefully you can figure it out soon.

They are 3 days old and look at the wing feathers. I'm wondering if that has something to do with it.

 

[salsss]

My 6 day old chicks were really itchy yesterday...I was starting to worry. Today, they're not. Wing feathers are coming in quickly..I think they were picking at their new wing feathers...

 

[GabbyFringette]

I had a Minorca chick who had similar problems. She was the only chick who experienced it out of thirty others: she would scratch furiously at her head until I could see bits of fluff come off. I checked her for bugs, but she had none. Now she's nearly two months old, she stopped scratching after a week and now she is perfectly healthy and beautiful.