Week Old Chicks picking at themselves

[Chikira]

Here's a tip for a new chick keeper. Get some Blu-kote. It may also be called Blue Lotion. It's an anti-fungal/anti-bacterial wound treatment. Keep it on hand if you ever have an injury. Use a Q-tip to paint it on the injury, and it will stain the red wound purple so the chicks won't be attracted to it and injure it further.

Thanks for the tip! I will take any and all tips!

 

[JustAChickenLoverOverHere]

Here are a couple new pictures

Thanks! I doubt this will be a problem and really think they are establishing their pecking order... basically their hierarchy. If the chick is losing a lot of feathers or even bleeding, you should probably seperate them. If you do seperate them, be sure to keep a more or less even number so they don't become unsocialized, they need friends.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Hello, first time raising chicks. I was wondering if it is a common thing for week old chicks to be picking at themselves consistently. One chick does it more than the other and I am wondering if it is something to be concerned about. I have done everything that I've read online to decrease the habit: give them more space, reduce exposure to light, entertain them with a roost and a mirror. And nothing I have done has worked. Any more suggestions? Or am I just being paranoid and shouldn't worry about it.

Usually they do that because they are getting feathers coming in. Look and see if there is dander. I guess they get itchy as they grow and feathers start to come in. You said they are picking at themselves, correct? Or are they picking at each other?

 

[Chikira]

Usually they do that because they are getting feathers coming in. Look and see if there is dander. I guess they get itchy as they grow and feathers start to come in. You said they are picking at themselves, correct? Or are they picking at each other?

They are picking them out themselves

 

[SurferchickinSB]

They are picking them out themselves

Just part of the growing process I think.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Just part of the growing process I think.

You’re using shavings so you probably can’t see all the dandruff that is mixed in with the shavings. I usually use paper towels and change out the paper towels a few times a day, so I would see all this dandruff on the paper towels. It’s part of their growing process

 

[NatJ]

I was wondering if it is a common thing for week old chicks to be picking at themselves consistently.

Could they be preening themselves?

Someone posted a video in another thread of week-old chicks preening:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/help.1433047/#post-23654867
Preening is how they take care of their feathers, and they do start while they are very young.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Could they be preening themselves?

Someone posted a video in another thread of week-old chicks preening:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/help.1433047/#post-23654867
Preening is how they take care of their feathers, and they do start while they are very young.

Yes, they are preening themselves because they are itchy from all the new growth.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Yes, they are preening themselves because they are itchy from all the new growth.

It’s sort of hard to tell from your photos, but it looks like there are a tiny little tail feathers just starting to sprout out.