Odd behaviour in chick

Oh, could it also have something to do with pecking order? They've been running at each other fluffing their feathers and pecking on top of the beak a lot the last days. Maybe she's coming last and she's actually suffering from stress sometimes?
 
Oh, could it also have something to do with pecking order? They've been running at each other fluffing their feathers and pecking on top of the beak a lot the last days. Maybe she's coming last and she's actually suffering from stress sometimes?
It's possible, but the lying down a lot is the most concerning. While a low in order bird may keep distance, they still hang near the others and try to participate for the most part. Or that is what I have observed with mine.
 
It's possible, but the lying down a lot is the most concerning. While a low in order bird may keep distance, they still hang near the others and try to participate for the most part. Or that is what I have observed with mine.

Yes, that's what I thought too. Now, during the week I have to work and they can only free roam in the evening and then I don't really see this behaviour. Only in the weekends when they can use the garden the entire day. I will contact my vet and keep an eye on it.
 
Little update. I've watched them closely for another week and all seems fine. Her droppings look good and they stay together. The choking on the food has also stopped now that I've given them permanent access to food again and mixed in some bigger grains. In any case I've contacted the vet's office and asked for all the possible information about fecal testing. The assistant will get back to me this week with all the possible checks they can do and the pricing. I will probably do the check anyway, because we're leaving on a holiday soon and the chicks will be staying at my job where a colleague keeps chickens.

While I was writing this, the situation in the picture happened again. I don't think it's very alarming? It does happen occasionally... she had been eating right before that though, together with the other two. They just went back for a refill and she went to lie down.
 

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Little update. I've watched them closely for another week and all seems fine. Her droppings look good and they stay together. The choking on the food has also stopped now that I've given them permanent access to food again and mixed in some bigger grains. In any case I've contacted the vet's office and asked for all the possible information about fecal testing. The assistant will get back to me this week with all the possible checks they can do and the pricing. I will probably do the check anyway, because we're leaving on a holiday soon and the chicks will be staying at my job where a colleague keeps chickens.

While I was writing this, the situation in the picture happened again. I don't think it's very alarming? It does happen occasionally... she had been eating right before that though, together with the other two. They just went back for a refill and she went to lie down.
I'm glad to hear things are looking better!
You provide insoluble poultry grit right? (crushed granite)
 
I'm glad to hear things are looking better!
You provide insoluble poultry grit right? (crushed granite)

Not sure how the Dutch terms translate to English, but I'm pretty sure, yes! They have a separate bowl for it in their coop and I always mix some in the food too. The chicken grit our pet supply had was a bit too big for them a few weeks ago so I gave them bird grit and now I'm mixing the bigger grit in there too.
 
The vet's assistant got back to me. I was thinking of taking a dropping from this chick in particular and then maybe mix in some more I can find in their house, so that I know I haven't missed that one chick out, but still get a view on the general health. I guess when one is sick with coccidiosis or parasites the others also have to be treated anyway... good idea?
 
The vet's assistant got back to me. I was thinking of taking a dropping from this chick in particular and then maybe mix in some more I can find in their house, so that I know I haven't missed that one chick out, but still get a view on the general health. I guess when one is sick with coccidiosis or parasites the others also have to be treated anyway... good idea?
I would take droppings from the sick one, find out if she has an overload, if she does then begin treatment, but I would treat all chicks.
 
I would take droppings from the sick one, find out if she has an overload, if she does then begin treatment, but I would treat all chicks.

I collected mostly droppings from the special chick and a little bit from the others. They got it tested mainly for parasites and they can't find anything. They did say, though, that if I REALLY want to exclude coccidiosis 100% I'd have to collected three droppings in 7-10 days. Would you recommend this if they couldn't see anything at all now? I feel more at ease now, also because the chick seems fine in general. I don't have time for that now anyway since they'll be staying at my job at the end of the week because we're leaving on a holiday.

They checked for parasites now, is there anything else you'd recommend? It's pretty cheap so I think I'll make a habit of doing a general check every few months
 
I collected mostly droppings from the special chick and a little bit from the others. They got it tested mainly for parasites and they can't find anything. They did say, though, that if I REALLY want to exclude coccidiosis 100% I'd have to collected three droppings in 7-10 days. Would you recommend this if they couldn't see anything at all now? I feel more at ease now, also because the chick seems fine in general. I don't have time for that now anyway since they'll be staying at my job at the end of the week because we're leaving on a holiday.

They checked for parasites now, is there anything else you'd recommend? It's pretty cheap so I think I'll make a habit of doing a general check every few months
If they find Coccidia then I would just get another fecal test in a couple of months.
 

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