Screaming chick. ALL THE TIME

[Wyorp Rock]

Your first recommendation was the right one. Ignoring the problem is negligent!

FOR ONE THING, CLEAN UP THE POOP!

She should not be so unsteady on her feet. That makes me suspicious, even tho she is only a few days old, she should be walking around. Watch them at the feed store, they are all very active. Something is wrong, health wise. I would isolate her in your hospital area with food and water, Maybe the kitchen where it is warm, until you can figure it out.

Since the OP has not updated this thread I will give everyone a link to her LAST POST ON HER OTHER THREAD about this baby. She made a few slight changes and the chick is thriving as far as I know.

I understand on long threads, I don't always read as closely as I should either. It would be nice is everyone stayed on topic and refrained from attacking others. The OP, I'm sure also cleaned up the poop - anyone who has chicks/chickens knows that poop happens, a chick that is not doing well-to see it poop is a good thing!, in fact if you are so inclined, please come visit us in the ER threads where we encourage posters to provide photos of poop

 

[aart]

Since the OP has not updated this thread I will give everyone a link to her LAST POST ON HER OTHER THREAD about this baby. She made a few slight changes and the chick is thriving as far as I know.

Also good to note that continuing a thread instead of starting a new one would go far to avoid this confusion.

 

[Tatuana]

Sorry for no update, guys! I totally thought her new issue was unrelated. Turns out they were related and I'm clueless about chickens. To be honest I kind of went and hid with my tail between my legs for a few days. Rough few days, but better now! (Not your guys' fault in any way)

FOR ONE THING, CLEAN UP THE POOP!

I actually do a full cage change every three days, and change the paper towels every morning and night. They're just little poop machines.


For those wanting to know the outcome, I thought she was having behavior issues. She was eating/drinking, not not from her assigned dishes. I thought it was a learned thing. Turns out she was still sick! I ended up roasting her little butt for a while. She stayed in felt snuggled against me on a heating pad for nearly 24 hours. The average temp inside was upwards of 105F. Anything lower and she got cold and shivered.

After 24 hours or so she perked right up. She doesn't scream anymore, drinks, eats, and even runs around and steals food from the other babies. Including the mealworms for the older babies. I know babies that young shouldn't have treats, so I kept trying to catch her to take it away. She was so happy running around and peeping with it I eventually gave up. Until a few days ago she had no interest in eating them anyway.

She's now a happy, normal chicken! She hardly spends any time in her heating cave, eats normally, plays, and is just a happy little girl. The only side effect of all the work is that for now she's easier to handle. She doesn't WANT to be held, but she won't run away from my hand in terror.

All the other babies turned out to be normal and fine, luckily! My older babies learned to escape their cage, find the - not very well hidden - mealworm farm and.... Yeah. We've banned mealworms. The gecko's are now in the back of the fridge until I need them.

So I owe you guys a HUGE debt and a THANK YOU. I swore the second time it was just that she had an attitude. I didn't know she was still sickly. This site managed to save her tiny little butt twice. And now she's a cranky little baby who steals things from the other babies.

She's also learned the joys of a grit bath. Ava did a weird little breakdance on the floor in the grit, Angry Baby followed, and now she happily sits in it and peeps. Hasn't figured out the breakdancing aspect yet, but she knows how to peep. She's like the younger sibling all the older ones just put up with. She's a bit needy and clingy, but happy.

 

[Charliwolf]

I just checked on her again. I think she's sick? This is what she's doing now.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/a9z4qguvvclkwy7/VID_20190210_152542.mp4?dl=0


I had a chick that was doing the same thing...I used nutri-drench. She snapped out of it within a few days. I was told to do this treatment by members on here...btw...Ebony is now 3 years old...and a fat and happy hen. She started out just being loud and then progressed...it's not a guarantee...but it's well worth a try. Good luck...

 

[gimmie birdies]

I had mail order chickens, one was pithy, this looks like a messy butt, but it was a crusty bellybutton, rough navel....

I dipped her beak in yolk water and electrolites, (I didn't leave it in the brooder, and it was always fresh.) below is her after Yolk water, the little one.

6 weeks later below, she is still littler. but very sweet. She never peeped alot though.

She is still littler than the other chicks. I thought I might have to write her off, after 5 days. but she keeps plugging on.

 

[Charliwolf]

Sorry for no update, guys! I totally thought her new issue was unrelated. Turns out they were related and I'm clueless about chickens. To be honest I kind of went and hid with my tail between my legs for a few days. Rough few days, but better now! (Not your guys' fault in any way)




I actually do a full cage change every three days, and change the paper towels every morning and night. They're just little poop machines.


For those wanting to know the outcome, I thought she was having behavior issues. She was eating/drinking, not not from her assigned dishes. I thought it was a learned thing. Turns out she was still sick! I ended up roasting her little butt for a while. She stayed in felt snuggled against me on a heating pad for nearly 24 hours. The average temp inside was upwards of 105F. Anything lower and she got cold and shivered.

After 24 hours or so she perked right up. She doesn't scream anymore, drinks, eats, and even runs around and steals food from the other babies. Including the mealworms for the older babies. I know babies that young shouldn't have treats, so I kept trying to catch her to take it away. She was so happy running around and peeping with it I eventually gave up. Until a few days ago she had no interest in eating them anyway.

She's now a happy, normal chicken! She hardly spends any time in her heating cave, eats normally, plays, and is just a happy little girl. The only side effect of all the work is that for now she's easier to handle. She doesn't WANT to be held, but she won't run away from my hand in terror.

All the other babies turned out to be normal and fine, luckily! My older babies learned to escape their cage, find the - not very well hidden - mealworm farm and.... Yeah. We've banned mealworms. The gecko's are now in the back of the fridge until I need them.

So I owe you guys a HUGE debt and a THANK YOU. I swore the second time it was just that she had an attitude. I didn't know she was still sickly. This site managed to save her tiny little butt twice. And now she's a cranky little baby who steals things from the other babies.

She's also learned the joys of a grit bath. Ava did a weird little breakdance on the floor in the grit, Angry Baby followed, and now she happily sits in it and peeps. Hasn't figured out the breakdancing aspect yet, but she knows how to peep. She's like the younger sibling all the older ones just put up with. She's a bit needy and clingy, but happy.

Wonderful!!!

 

[Colvinwe]

When chicks are hatched by broody hens, that's the cry that they make when they get separated from their mama and/or when they get too cold. I suspect that she has imprinted on you. She probably got too cold on the post office's loading dock. My daughter lost a large order of chicks that way (they were all dead upon delivery). Your chick probably just wasn't as robust as the others. I'm glad she's doing better!

 

[gimmie birdies]

I agree with colvinwe, some chicks want a momma, they want to be feed and pampered.

 

[Tatuana]

She's for sure tiny compared to her siblings. I'm not sure if you can see it, but she's about 2/3rds the size.

For those who are worried, that's their cleaning cage. It's where I contain them while I clean their cage. This is their actual cage half finished.

That's an old upright piano in the background, you can see the cage is larger. It's also 5 feet wide. After finishing it has between two and three removable floors. The bottom has food/water, middle has a heating cave and treats (right now a grass clump and some lids they like to toss) the top one has branches and such to sit on. When they get too big I can set it on it's side to be larger, though I hope to have a small outside coop done by that time. The fabric is to help with the mess of babies, and to help prevent my cat from murdering something.
(Best I could do with what I had after researching on this site a LOT. They love having several floors) the wire looks like babies fit through it easily, but I have some mesh fabric I put over the bottom to prevent that while they're young. As they get older they won't fit.



Ellywe is in trouble, though. Angry Baby let himself out through a small hole I didn't notice. Ellwye followed. I caught them snacking on my very expensive/pretty roses my sweetie sent me. Imagine how annoyed your husband would be to have someone email them right after you got the flowers to ask if the chickens can eat them. He thought I was giving them as a snack and was annoyed. He's still not happy with me, or the chickens. But now I know they were 100 percent organic?