I bought three 2-week-old polish crested chicks today (one silver laced, one gold laced, and one that is black and white splotches all over) and also six 6-week-old chicks from another guy (he told me in email that they were barred rock, but they are mostly black with some brown specks *shrug*). The six older chicks are doing great, no problems with them. Two of the younger chicks are doing great, complained the whole way home and have been nice and perky the whole time.
The gold laced one was really really lethargic once we got into the car, and I held him against my chest for warmth on the way home and he slept the whole way. Once home he seemed to have a difficult time walking. The other two found the food right away and started pigging out, and it took him a while but he found it also. At first he just layed in the bowl and ate, but after a bit he perked up and was walking around chirping, drinking, pecking at his mates, etc. He was still stumbling a bit while walking.
Since he perked up and was eating and drinking (I heard that if they eat and drink right away that is a good sign, right?) should I still be concerned? It's late now, we didn't get home until almost 9pm, and we have them in a storage container with food and water in our spare bedroom. We'll be checking on there periodically until we go to bed, and I'll check on them again when I get up to let my "big kids" (my 8/9 week old chicks) out of their brooder. Is there something that I should be doing for him? I have never had itty bitty chicks before, my first flock was 4 weeks old when I got them.
The gold laced one was really really lethargic once we got into the car, and I held him against my chest for warmth on the way home and he slept the whole way. Once home he seemed to have a difficult time walking. The other two found the food right away and started pigging out, and it took him a while but he found it also. At first he just layed in the bowl and ate, but after a bit he perked up and was walking around chirping, drinking, pecking at his mates, etc. He was still stumbling a bit while walking.
Since he perked up and was eating and drinking (I heard that if they eat and drink right away that is a good sign, right?) should I still be concerned? It's late now, we didn't get home until almost 9pm, and we have them in a storage container with food and water in our spare bedroom. We'll be checking on there periodically until we go to bed, and I'll check on them again when I get up to let my "big kids" (my 8/9 week old chicks) out of their brooder. Is there something that I should be doing for him? I have never had itty bitty chicks before, my first flock was 4 weeks old when I got them.
