new chicks shaking their heads

[Tab's chicken obsession]

I have new babies as of this week and I bought 3 that were born the same day. All babies are in a brand new brooder and shavings. Yesterday they started shaking their heads like they're trying to get something out of their ears. It's making me a little nervous. Does anyone have any ideas?

 

[Imp]

I've not read about anything like this before. The only reference I could find was ear infection, if the ears were filled with white material, and to treat with antibiotics. But that was for caged birds, with no specific details.
Is there anything in the ears?
Could just be dust in the brooder.
Any other symptoms?

Good luck,

Imp

 

[pips&peeps]

If they aren't silkies, they probably have a mycoplasma infection. (silkies shake their heads alot just because they can I guess)

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

If that was happening to me, I would assume that a few northern fowl mites hopped from my older girls onto me, then onto the chicks. (But only because my girls have had those recently.) My chickens shake their heads when they are infested with them and need treatment. That is the only way I can tell.

I really don't know about your situation, though. Baby chicks shouldn't be getting them unless sparrows are coming near them, lol.

 

[Tab's chicken obsession]

Well I'm starting them on medicated feed and I'm hoping that helps. I'll keep an eye on them and go from there. Thanks for the ideas.

 

[Olive Hill]

The medication in medicated chick feed is not a broad spectrum antibiotic. Most just contain a coccidiostat for the prevention of cocci the symptoms of which do not include head shaking. Even in those that contain Bacitracin the dose is not sufficient for treatment of a condition. It's provided in amounts for prevention of enteritis and to improve feed conversion and growth rate only.