Please help emergency

[Babysilkiefirst time lady]

Please help my 8 little 3 wk old silkies I bought not too long ago I think have became sick. This is my first time ever raising young chicks and they was doing fine till I fed some purine medicated chic feed. It had some red looking long type bug I assumed grain mites I killed the bugs by freezing them to death.(hope they stay dead) but ever since the notice the feed had these bug I immediately switched their heated homes to a new one and took the one the bigs was in outside to freeze to death any bugs but my little ones are shaking heads, stretch their necks like yawning, and they drink and eat just seem they are looking a Lille crusty feathers also please tell ‘em what may be wrong so I may save them all or at least give my babies a chance I’m in tears I’ve dedicated all my time to these little ones and it’s breaking my heart please any advice .

 

[Mariahking]

You can try buying first Saturday lime it’s kills bugs and any Bacteria and it’s super safe for all pets

 

[Aunt Angus]

Please help my 8 little 3 wk old silkies I bought not too long ago I think have became sick. This is my first time ever raising young chicks and they was doing fine till I fed some purine medicated chic feed. It had some red looking long type bug I assumed grain mites I killed the bugs by freezing them to death.(hope they stay dead) but ever since the notice the feed had these bug I immediately switched their heated homes to a new one and took the one the bigs was in outside to freeze to death any bugs but my little ones are shaking heads, stretch their necks like yawning, and they drink and eat just seem they are looking a Lille crusty feathers also please tell ‘em what may be wrong so I may save them all or at least give my babies a chance I’m in tears I’ve dedicated all my time to these little ones and it’s breaking my heart please any advice .

I'm sorry you're dealing with this. First, I'd say not to feed them any food that has bugs. It is helpful to check the date on the bag. You want food that is packaged within the past few months. Most feed stores will replace bad feed if you bring the unused portion in to show them.

Can you give a little more information about their symptoms? You said they are shaking their heads and "yawning." Where are their "crusty" feathers? Is it around their vents? Their beaks?

Pictures of your chickens and their current housing will help also.

 

[AmyJane725]

Yeah, definitely return any food that is full of bugs. That's gross. I've returned food to the store before and they replace it for free. They didn't hassle me about it at all.

 

[Babysilkiefirst time lady]

I'm sorry you're dealing with this. First, I'd say not to feed them any food that has bugs. It is helpful to check the date on the bag. You want food that is packaged within the past few months. Most feed stores will replace bad feed if you bring the unused portion in to show them.

Can you give a little more information about their symptoms? You said they are shaking their heads and "yawning." Where are their "crusty" feathers? Is it around their vents? Their beaks?

Pictures of your chickens and their current housing will help also.

They got where a few are doing a quick shake of their head and some stretch their necks out and opens their beak then I notice on the wings this that looks to be crusty they still chirp away like happy chicks but my instinct says something isn’t right and they seem not as active as they once was hopefully u can see the crust like on her feathers the second is a temp housing till I get their wired home back sanitary to move them into since it was a fast move to try and get them away from what I assume was grain mites

 

[Aunt Angus]

They look fine to me! Cute little things!

Chickens open their beaks to adjust their crops. If you are only feeding chick starter, they are probably fine. If they have eaten anything that us not starter, you'll need to give them chick grit.

I'm still not 100% about the crust, but I think that they are growing their feathers. Silkies have soft fluffy feathers everywhere, but they may have some hard feathering on their wings.

Is there a place in their brooder where they can get out from under the heat lamp? Chicks that are too warm can be lethargic. What is the temperature in the brooder?

 

[Babysilkiefirst time lady]

I move the heat lamp away and they become more active they still sound happy lots of chirping I did think possible molting cause I had cockatiels years back. Should I work them them or are they too young and yes they only have eaten starter food the lady I got them from was who told me to keep feeding them same diet to cause less stress on them but I still have a few looking weak my most little one of the group feels as bones unlike others is why I’m wondering those bugs in the food have really got me worried I’ve always waited and tend to older chickens 4 months so 3 weeks old ones I’m concerned for they are so tiny also could I have a bird mite thing close to their heated home for now just on outside so they can’t try to peck it just for safely

 

[Aunt Angus]

I move the heat lamp away and they become more active they still sound happy lots of chirping I did think possible molting cause I had cockatiels years back. Should I work them them or are they too young and yes they only have eaten starter food the lady I got them from was who told me to keep feeding them same diet to cause less stress on them but I still have a few looking weak my most little one of the group feels as bones unlike others is why I’m wondering those bugs in the food have really got me worried I’ve always waited and tend to older chickens 4 months so 3 weeks old ones I’m concerned for they are so tiny also could I have a bird mite thing close to their heated home for now just on outside so they can’t try to peck it just for safely

Eating a few of the bugs probably won't harm them. Mites are harmful when they live on chickens and bite them. Are you seeing mites on them?

If one is thin, you should watch to make sure it's eating and check its crop at night to see if it's full. If it isn't eating enough, you may want to feed it separately and then put it back with the others. Poultry Nutridrench is good stuff. A drop directly to its beak will likely perk it up. You can also mix Nutridrench in their water. Add enough so that their water looks like very weak tea.

The lady who sold them to you is right. They need to stay on chick starter only for now.