Stressed out chicklet

[saxgoddess25]

Hey all. I lost one of my new brahma chicks today while I was at work and the other brahma as well as one of the orpingtons had pasty butt. I got them cleaned off, but I don't have a hair dryer so I had to just dry them as well as I could with a towel and put them back under the heat lamp while I supervised. The orpington is doing just fine, however the Brahma keeps picking at her own butt and also her wing tips. She's chirping and obviously stressed out. Any ideas of what to do to help her calm down??

 

[Kiki]

Do you have a thermometer?
What is the temp under your light?

Can you take a few clear pictures of the brooder and the chick that's complaining?

 

[NatJ]

She's chirping and obviously stressed out. Any ideas of what to do to help her calm down??

How long did you already wait? If it's within the first half hour after you put her back, I would suggest just waiting to see if a little time helps.

Also, do you know what it looks like when a chick preens itself? Preening is normal, healthy behavior, but it can be surprising the first times you see a tiny chick with almost no feathers doing it.

 

[saxgoddess25]

Do you have a thermometer?
What is the temp under your light?

Can you take a few clear pictures of the brooder and the chick that's complaining?

You know what, I think that might have been it. I temp checked the brooder and it was too hot. I moved the lamp up and now she's not freaking out as much. She's still fussing a bit, but not as much. Meanwhile the Orps are having a grand old time rolling around in the shavings.

 

[Ebony Rose]

I'm going to focus on the phrase "new chicks". Electrolytes in their water has been known to help newly received chicks (aka chicks in the mail). Your feed store will have several options available or you could use a product like pedialyte (without iron), or in a pinch, sugar-water.

 

[saxgoddess25]

How long did you already wait? If it's within the first half hour after you put her back, I would suggest just waiting to see if a little time helps.

Also, do you know what it looks like when a chick preens itself? Preening is normal, healthy behavior, but it can be surprising the first times you see a tiny chick with almost no feathers doing it.

It had been about three hours and she was really fussing. It wasn't normal preening but more like obsessively picking. Since I've moved the lamp up she is actually starting to doze off now. It must have been a heat problem.

 

[Kiki]

You know what, I think that might have been it. I temp checked the brooder and it was too hot. I moved the lamp up and now she's not freaking out as much. She's still fussing a bit, but not as much. Meanwhile the Orps are having a grand old time rolling around in the shavings.

Too hot causes pasty butt.

Keep a close eye on how hot the light is making their brooder.

 

[saxgoddess25]

I'm going to focus on the phrase "new chicks". Electrolytes in their water has been known to help newly received chicks (aka chicks in the mail). Your feed store will have several options available or you could use a product like pedialyte (without iron), or in a pinch, sugar-water.

I already have electrolytes in their water.