What's with these Chicks?

[meetthebubus]

I think they look like orps, maybe lemon orps or buff orps I think they look normal too for now ☺

 

[ChickNanny13]

Do you know what the black flecking is on their faces? Perhaps that can help point to the cause.

Poultry Dust is a good start. You'll have to repeat in ten days to make sure anything they had is dead, since that will kill the adults but not any eggs.

That (black flecking) caught my eye too, it's dirt I almost/should have walked away from getting them when I saw the conditions....Dirt ground with junk all over, to catch them he tossed out some rice & a bunch came running. I got them home too late in the day to try "washing" their heads. The sad part, I put food out & they wouldn't touch it, kept peeping off & on for couple hours. I ferment my feed so figured they weren't familiar with it, sprinkled some dry feed on it. They came running and pigged out! Realized then they're only know feed tossed on the ground!

What did I get myself into, can't take them back. They will have a better life with me that's for sure. Went out at dark to inspect them again, don't see any mites & I do see tiny pin feathers coming up, so it could be living conditions. I also noticed them picking feathers off each other, so I'm sure my feeding them regularly & higher protein feed will help alot.

Their poop is dark which I know is from eating dirt (had free roaming chickens in the past that love to eat dirt), it's firm and don't smell so that part I'm ok with. Aside from fermenting their crumbles, got ACV in their water.

I was reading about Gordon's Permethrin 10%, can that be used on these chicks? Thank you for your advice and help, greatly appreciated!

 

[Pyxis]

I think they look like orps, maybe lemon orps or buff orps I think they look normal too for now ☺

Orps do not have pea or cushion combs like these chicks do. And it's never normal for a chicken's face to be bald.

That (black flecking) caught my eye too, it's dirt I almost/should have walked away from getting them when I saw the conditions....Dirt ground with junk all over, to catch them he tossed out some rice & a bunch came running. I got them home too late in the day to try "washing" their heads. The sad part, I put food out & they wouldn't touch it, kept peeping off & on for couple hours. I ferment my feed so figured they weren't familiar with it, sprinkled some dry feed on it. They came running and pigged out! Realized then they're only know feed tossed on the ground!

What did I get myself into, can't take them back. They will have a better life with me that's for sure. Went out at dark to inspect them again, don't see any mites & I do see tiny pin feathers coming up, so it could be living conditions. I also noticed them picking feathers off each other, so I'm sure my feeding them regularly & higher protein feed will help alot.

Their poop is dark which I know is from eating dirt (had free roaming chickens in the past that love to eat dirt), it's firm and don't smell so that part I'm ok with. Aside from fermenting their crumbles, got ACV in their water.

I was reading about Gordon's Permethrin 10%, can that be used on these chicks? Thank you for your advice and help, greatly appreciated!

Poor things, sounds like they didn't have the best life. Yep, you can use permethrin on them. I just wouldn't advise it if you have a cat because permethrin is very toxic to them.

From what you're saying it could well be the living conditions. That and sounds like they weren't fed correctly at all. You said you noticed them picking feathers off each other so I wouldn't be surprised if that's what was going on. Still, treating for mites and lice is never a bad idea when getting new birds. Better safe than sorry, and it won't hurt anything.

 

[Ravynscroft]

Do you know what the black flecking is on their faces? Perhaps that can help point to the cause

Exactly what I was wondering about...

But if you look, your chick still has baby fluff on its face, which is normal. It doesn't have feathers, yes, but it does still have its fluff. If you blow up the picture of the chicks mentioned here in this thread, this is not the case. They actually have bald faces. And that is not a normal thing that chicks have happen.

X2

I agree with Pyxis... and I have no doubt it was living conditions that caused the bald faces... if down gets muddy or caked up with something and they can't get it off then it will get very itchy... as they scratch at it or move around, the fluff gets ripped off with the dried crusty chunks, leaving bald spots until feathers come in... plus feather picking sounds like an issue..

 

[ChickNanny13]

I think they look like orps, maybe lemon orps or buff orps I think they look normal too for now ☺

The guy said Buffs from the hatchery but I wouldn't mind a Lemon or two Orpingtons & Wynadottes (Hubby's favorite) are my favorites, love their "puffy" behinds

 

[Pyxis]

The guy said Buffs from the hatchery

Well that might explain things. Hatcheries do not breed for quality or proper breed traits. Not surprised they have the wrong combs in that case. It's quite possible another breed got mixed in and the hatchery just didn't care.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Orps do not have pea or cushion combs like these chicks do. And it's never normal for a chicken's face to be bald.



Poor things, sounds like they didn't have the best life. Yep, you can use permethrin on them. I just wouldn't advise it if you have a cat because permethrin is very toxic to them.

From what you're saying it could well be the living conditions. That and sounds like they weren't fed correctly at all. You said you noticed them picking feathers off each other so I wouldn't be surprised if that's what was going on. Still, treating for mites and lice is never a bad idea when getting new birds. Better safe than sorry, and it won't hurt anything.

No cats & our yard is fenced (neighbor's dogs kept visiting) completely now. Thank you again. I must inspect their combs better tomorrow, as much as I know Orps have single combs I prefer the rose or cushion , I saw the ad & had to have them

 

[ChickNanny13]

Well that might explain things. Hatcheries do not breed for quality or proper breed traits. Not surprised they have the wrong combs in that case. It's quite possible another breed got mixed in and the hatchery just didn't care.

It's very difficult to get/find quality stock here (Hawaii), majority are hatchery quality that people purchase through the feed store or online. Due to our Dept of Ag laws, alot of breeders don't want to deal with them & the red tape. Then there's shipping, it's a killer.

I just LOVE the "puffy" butts and eggs....Pets with Benefits is what I call my chickens, limited to 6 and no males

 

[meetthebubus]

Orps do not have pea or cushion combs like these chicks do. And it's never normal for a chicken's face to be bald.

The pic doesn't show completely bald face they're still young and I don't know if I'm looking at the wrong pic but the few young birds I see I can't really see much of a comb, so i dont see how thats determined yet either but their feathering and coloring look like orps to me

 

[Pyxis]

You can tell from hatch what type of comb chicks have, and looking at this picture blown up, which you will need to click on it to do, you can see that of the four only one has a single comb. All the rest have the wrong comb to be purebred orps.

Even though their faces are only partially bald, that's still not normal. Blow the picture up and you will see bald patches on them. Even when they are still getting in their feathers they would have chick fluff on their faces, and they do not.