Hope you don't mind, I'm reposting here as no one had answers on my Raising Baby Chicks post and I don't want to lose this sweet chick. Pics below.
I hv a 1-wk old Delaware that is loosing down on its neck and chest. I hv one of those long metal chick feeders that have the flippy bar (to prevent perching) and I'm wondering if she got caught under it and rubbed the top of her neck. However that doesn't explain the loss under the neck.
My chicks are warm, no pecking, no bugs, all active, etc. I did pull her out tho because the other chicks saw skin and just barely started to inspect. Her loosing fluff happened w/in approx an hr because I'd recently completed a pasty-butt check. She looks a little globby because I read on this board that putting bag balm will help deter pecking and sooth the skin. It turned off most chicks and helped the redness but I had a couple little antwerps that kept trying so I just isolated her. Right now she's on my desk under a lamp, well actually I'm holding her but can't keep this up all day.
She's eating, drinking, active. Any ideas what to do? Do I just make sure she's warm, alone and wait for feathers to come in? I've never had this happen! oh, and I took the bar off the feeder and think I'll change types. Is this a Delaware thing? (loosing fluff?)
Oh, I also have Quik Chik and started antibotics in her water just in case. Question... do you think if I started her on lettuce, flax, oatmeal, etc and started chick grit that would be good?? or is sticking to the Start & Grow (non medicated) best for her? I've raised a lots of chickens but this is a first for me... and my first Delaware chicks. Oh, nothing crawling on her, skin doesn' even look irritated, just naked and gooey now.
Thanks for any advice! julie