Three week dry back fledgling chick question.

[Grefeilder]

I have an issue with my 3 week old chicks. A few of them now fledglings have dry spots on there backs and one has a blood spot. I have 14 chicks. Bielefelder, new Hampshire, and buff orpington. A few of the Bielefelder and Orpington chicks have the issue one (pictured) had a blood spot. I clean the brooder out twice a week. Fresh quick chick every morning, dumour starter/grower feed. I clean the water (that has 1tbs. Per gal of braggs cider vinegar mixed in) twice daily. I raise the heat plate as soon as i see it is too low. I am attaching pictures of the blood spot chick and my brooder setup for reference. What can i do to heal the bird with skin damage? What can i do to mitigate anymore? And most importantly what am i possibly doing wrong?

Thank you all in advance

 

[sourland]

Time for them to go to a larger pen with more space. They are starting to peck at one another out of boredom.

 

[Grefeilder]

Time for them to go to a larger pen with more space. They are starting to peck at one another out of boredom.

Thank you i will add more room for them. I am almost done building the taj-ma coop for them but was prepared to increase their space in the garage to 4 times this size.

 

[RogierSt]

I had a few years back exactly the same. And it was aswell with Bielefelders. For us it was the heating plate to low and it scratched there back open. And i can see you are using the same heating plate as me.

I always make sure they can touch the heating plate with there back but they dont need to crawl or squeesh themself under it

 

[Grefeilder]

I had a few years back exactly the same. And it was aswell with Bielefelders. For us it was the heating plate to low and it scratched there back open. And i can see you are using the same heating plate as me.

Thank you vary much for your response. I will try to keep it above their backs.

I have tried to raise it as they grew. Unfortunately the weather here in Northern California has been crazy. This year 70° for a week then 40. I raised it again just before this post.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

What can i do to mitigate anymore?

Hi, welcome to BYC!

In addition to the extra space consider adding in some enrichment.. like a clump of grass with the dirt still attached.. so they can play king of the hill.. get a little natural grit, and also a little exposure to your soil before going out full time. A little stick to jump and roost on is also good pure fun/practice.

Brags shouldn't be an everyday occurrence and can inhibit calcium absorption. (Maybe not worried about with hens that have access to free choice calcium but maybe a concern long term for chicks) In the picture it looks like you may also have plain water available to though??

I had a few years back exactly the same. And it was aswell with Bielefelders. For us it was the heating plate to low and it scratched there back open. And i can see you are using the same heating plate as me.

Now this might make TOTAL sense to the one I'm seeing in my little brood.. almost looks like a scraped knee but in the wrong location for a burn with how they stand under the (same) plate.. not on the top of the head or the back but directly in the bend of the neck. I was wondering since I hadn't seen ANY pecking or boredom or crowding behaviors at all.. I sensed it was brooder plate related but just couldn't figure out how.. until now.. and yes.. I KNOW it was too low.. by how they had to duck under to get in and out!

 

[Grefeilder]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

In addition to the extra space consider adding in some enrichment.. like a clump of grass with the dirt still attached.. so they can play king of the hill.. get a little natural grit, and also a little exposure to your soil before going out full time. A little stick to jump and roost on is also good pure fun/practice.

Brags shouldn't be an everyday occurrence and can inhibit calcium absorption. (Maybe not worried about with hens that have access to free choice calcium but maybe a concern long term for chicks) In the picture it looks like you may also have plain water available to though??


Now this might make TOTAL sense to the one I'm seeing in my little brood.. almost looks like a scraped knee but in the wrong location for a burn with how they stand under the (same) plate.. not on the top of the head or the back but directly in the bend of the neck. I was wondering since I hadn't seen ANY pecking or boredom or crowding behaviors at all.. I sensed it was brooder plate related but just couldn't figure out how.. until now.. and yes.. I KNOW it was too low.. by how they had to duck under to get in and out!

I will have to order some chick grit. None of my local tractor supplies or feed store had small grit. Ithe fresh water that is in there has brags in it. The small water has quick chick. I added the braggs because some had a pasty butt issue that is now gone. I will definitely add a tray of dirt and some grass tomorrow when i expand there area.

Thank you so much for replying to my post. This community is amazing

 

[NatJ]

the fresh water that is in there has brags in it. The small water has quick chick. I added the braggs because some had a pasty butt issue that is now gone.

General advice is to always provide one container of plain water, with nothing added to it.

The exception is when you need to give them a medicine (like Corid to treat coccidiosis.) In that case, put the Corid in the water, do not provide any other water, and do not put anything else in the water with the Corid.

Chicks usually do not need things added to their water. Having the option of water with additives is usually safe enough, but being forced to drink it can sometimes cause problems. (The water additives are probably not causing the current problem with your chicks, but are probably not doing anything useful about it either.)

 

[Grefeilder]

General advice is to always provide one container of plain water, with nothing added to it.

The exception is when you need to give them a medicine (like Corid to treat coccidiosis.) In that case, put the Corid in the water, do not provide any other water, and do not put anything else in the water with the Corid.

Chicks usually do not need things added to their water. Having the option of water with additives is usually safe enough, but being forced to drink it can sometimes cause problems. (The water additives are probably not causing the current problem with your chicks, but are probably not doing anything useful about it either.)

Thank you. your advice is really appreciated. These chicks were vaccinated cor coccidiosis and mareks before they shipped. I will stop giving them quick chick aswell. As i understand it is like chicken Gatorade. Or should i keep them on it?

 

[NatJ]

Thank you. your advice is really appreciated. These chicks were vaccinated cor coccidiosis and mareks before they shipped. I will stop giving them quick chick aswell. As i understand it is like chicken Gatorade. Or should i keep them on it?

I would definitely provide plain water as an option. Chick starter (feed) is designed to contain all the nutrients the chicks need, so they are fine with just that and plain water.

I have no personal experience with quick chick. I've raised hundreds of chicks, over quite a few years, and never given them anything to drink but plain water. They tended to stay healthy and grow up just fine. So personally, I would not be using the quick chick. But I know that plenty of people do use it and their chicks grow up healthy too, so I would say your chicks should be fine whichever way you choose (assuming they also have access to plain water.)