Missing feathers

[JenniferJoIN]

I had a worry wart night last night and have three new questions:

1.) Last night when I was changing the cage, I noticed that a lot of them had food, etc stuck on their chest like they had laid in crud and it had dried. So I took a warm paper towel and washed it off, but some of them have NO hair/feathers on that spot now, just bare skin. I didn't scrub, just lightly brushed the crud away, so where did the feathering go?

2.)Now that they are 8 days old, can I use pine shavings as their bedding?

3.) I noticed that my two BO (?) chicks have bald spots, but I haven't seen any of the other chicks picking at them. Am I just not seeing them pick or could it be something else?

Thanks to all. I feel like the mom who takes her kids to the emergency room everytime they cough!

 

[2mnypets]

Again welcome to BYC! Not to worry about the spots. It's down and new feathers will be taking its place. Yes, it's safe to have pine bedding now. They should know what their food is by this time. I would just continue to monitor all the bald spots. My question is do all of the chicks have bald spots. I guess I was thinking it was just the ones from eating the food. You might have some mites or lice problem if they are all getting bald spots. Do you have some recent pictures of the bald spots or can you take some and post them for all of us to see. Let us know please how they are doing. They are georgous!

 

[silkiechicken]

Yes, you can use pine shavings when they are about 4 days old because by then they know where food is. I actually just dump them onto shavings as day olds and they figure it out.

Missing feathers would be due to sitting in poo all day and it sticking and matting them down. Usually I only see this in meat birds as they get their cages really dirty really fast and so daily cleanings don't keep up.

With the sounds of stuff stuck on the chicks and bald spots, be careful on space as sometimes these bald spots can encourage picking if they don't have enough space.

 

[JenniferJoIN]

The breast-bald-spots are only on a couple of them, but the two yellow ones have more of a picked-on spotting... Yellow 1 (I have to wait and see personalities before I can name them) has a spot by her tail, and yellow 2 has spots where her wing attaches to her body. I'll take pictures tonight.

I'm glad to hear that cages dirty up fast, I was beginning to wonder if I was a bad mom for letting them lay in crud!

I did move them into a bigger box this morning before I left for work, so maybe the picking will no longer be an issue. I will definitely watch the bald spots though.

Thanks for the help!

 

[silkiechicken]

Meat birds are terribly bad for dirtying things up. 4 meat birds dirty the same pen as fast as 18 leghorns.

 

[JenniferJoIN]

After close inspection last night, all the chicks are looking much better so I guess (thankfully) I was just being a worry wart. Their little feathers are so cute!

 

[2mnypets]

Better to be safe than sorry that's for sure. You were doing exactly what you were supposed to be doing. Granted we all probably consider chickens more than farm stock, but these little buggars are hardier than anyone gives them credit for. We're all worry warts....welcome to the family.