itchy, mites, or normal behavior?

[jeanny]

i just got my baby chicks in the mail about 3 days ago. I assume they are at least 5 days old, with wing feathers already starting to grow in. i noticed that they have been shaking their head a lot. when they eat, when they play, even when they're trying to sleep! they also do kind of a grooming motion where they bury their beaks in their feathers. they seem really bothered and uncomfortable please help!

 

[eggbert420]

What's the temperature in your brooder?

 

[jeanny]

about 85 - 90 degrees fahrenheit. any hotter and they start moving away and panting

 

[eggbert420]

Is there crop doughy feeling?

 

[jeanny]

yes

 

[eggbert420]

Sounds like a impacted crop. Put a couple of drops of olive oil down their throat, And gently massage the crop Working the contents up and out of their mouth. Once the crop is empty give them only water for about 6 hours in this should fix your problem.if you are feeding chick starter try to crush it up smaller.

 

[jeanny]

thanks! i'll try it, but if that's not the instance what else do you think this may be. they always groom around their wings and their vent, and sometimes topple over doing it. i think it may be mites. what's your input?

 

[Ravynscroft]

Please, do NOT try to push their food up and out their mouths... they can easily aspirate their food and choke... mushy crops in chicks is normal...

You said their feathers are starting to come in, there's your answer... pin feathers growing out are uncomfortable and they will preen off the feather sheath as the feathers grow out... that's normal behavior...

 

[donrae]

Sounds like normal chick behavior to me. Grooming is what many animals spend much of their time doing. They're growing feathers in, that's got to be a weird feeling. And little animals tend to fall over when they try to do things that challenge their balance. Babies of most species spend a lot of time falling and getting back up.

they shouldn't have mites or any other issues at this age. Unless you have older birds with a horrid infestation and practice no bio security at all, there's no way these little chicks would have gotten mites.

 

[aart]

Please, do NOT try to push their food up and out their mouths... they can easily aspirate their food and choke... mushy crops in chicks is normal...

You said their feathers are starting to come in, there's your answer... pin feathers growing out are uncomfortable and they will preen off the feather sheath as the feathers grow out... that's normal behavior...

Ditto Dat^^^

Sounds like normal chick behavior to me. Grooming is what many animals spend much of their time doing. They're growing feathers in, that's got to be a weird feeling. And little animals tend to fall over when they try to do things that challenge their balance. Babies of most species spend a lot of time falling and getting back up.

they shouldn't have mites or any other issues at this age. Unless you have older birds with a horrid infestation and practice no bio security at all, there's no way these little chicks would have gotten mites.

and Dat^^^