Hi Y'all
I received 4 chicks from Meyer mid-October (2 Australorps, 1 Bielefelder, 1 Lavender Orpington). When they arrived I noticed immediately that they were constantly scratching, all 4 of them, it was pretty much non-stop. They were falling over losing their balance because they just couldn't stop scratching.
I called Meyer. Customer Service Rep. said it's possible they could have been in contact with something that irritated them (chemicals?). I did the usual care for all of them with water, feed, heat lamp. They wouldn't stop scratching.
They are now 7 weeks old and from day 1 they have been nut cases, all of them. I've owned these breeds in the past and they've always been laid back/chill but no matter how much time I give them they act like I'm going to murder them. They
scream, run, fly, and generally act like they're scared for their lives. It's not a normal being a little apprehensive; it is outright craziness!
They did stop their scratching after a couple days but now I'm wondering if the Meyer Rep. was right in her assumption and that leads me to question if these chicks should be culled. I don't know how I could do that as I don't have the heart but this whole behavior thing has me greatly concerned.
If anyone has any idea what could be going on and what I should do, please comment. Thanks!
I received 4 chicks from Meyer mid-October (2 Australorps, 1 Bielefelder, 1 Lavender Orpington). When they arrived I noticed immediately that they were constantly scratching, all 4 of them, it was pretty much non-stop. They were falling over losing their balance because they just couldn't stop scratching.
I called Meyer. Customer Service Rep. said it's possible they could have been in contact with something that irritated them (chemicals?). I did the usual care for all of them with water, feed, heat lamp. They wouldn't stop scratching.
They are now 7 weeks old and from day 1 they have been nut cases, all of them. I've owned these breeds in the past and they've always been laid back/chill but no matter how much time I give them they act like I'm going to murder them. They
scream, run, fly, and generally act like they're scared for their lives. It's not a normal being a little apprehensive; it is outright craziness!
They did stop their scratching after a couple days but now I'm wondering if the Meyer Rep. was right in her assumption and that leads me to question if these chicks should be culled. I don't know how I could do that as I don't have the heart but this whole behavior thing has me greatly concerned.
If anyone has any idea what could be going on and what I should do, please comment. Thanks!
