Sick Chicks w/ Droopy wings

[Crazy_Coop]

This doesn't match...
I would stop cleaning/sanitizing the brooder.
A quick wash of water/feed stations when soiled is always a good idea.

Chicks need to be exposed to poop and each other, they will not be living in a sterile and sanitized environment outside. You want them to have exposure to poop, bedding, etc. while in the brooder to help build some resistance.

Have you ever had chicks before?

Tucking the feet under them is normal when babies or even as adults when they are lounging about.

I'd put them back in the bigger brooder, they need space.

A sneeze can be just a sneeze - getting water/food in the nostrils, dust from bedding, etc. I wouldn't worry too much about it.

It's good that you are seeing improvement, I'd finish the course of Corid since it's been started.

This is my first time having chicks but i've done a lot of research and I feel like I understand most of the basics, but I know theres still a lot more to learn.

Im not sure what your mean by them not matching up? I only sanitized the brooder the very first time I brought it in the house to get rid of germs from the store and other people touching it, like I said the waterer is only sanitized ONCE a day otherwise it is kept clean of bedding and washed with soap and water when they've pooped in it. I feel like it might be better to leave them in this brooder for a few more days or maybe until they finish cocci treatment as they havent been showing signs of aggression and they've been moved three times already and I dont want to stress them out too much.

Im not sure if I was clear enough about them tucking their feet. The way they are doing it is by standing on one leg and tucking the other, I read on here on a few other threads that this could be a sign of them being cold.

Also I think I forgot to mention that the chick who was first showing signs of sickness is also growing slower than the others, her tail feathers are much less developed but she seems like shes starting to grow more since we've started treatment and for that reason I would like to err on the side of caution.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Photos of them and tucking of the feet?

Inspect the bottoms of the feet to be sure there's nothing stuck to the bottoms or any type of irritation.

Chickens can stand on one leg and tuck the other, but it's not that common.

Some chicks grow and feather out faster/slower than others. If she's eating/drinking and active, I wouldn't worry too much.

 

[Crazy_Coop]

Photos of them and tucking of the feet?

Inspect the bottoms of the feet to be sure there's nothing stuck to the bottoms or any type of irritation.

Chickens can stand on one leg and tuck the other, but it's not that common.

Some chicks grow and feather out faster/slower than others. If she's eating/drinking and active, I wouldn't worry too much.

They have been moved back to the bigger brooder and have stopped tucking their feet however I still checked them and didnt notice anything abnormal looking.

I made some changes to the brooder which included adding a roosting bar and higher cardboard walls. There is a cutout at the bottom to help with airflow.

They are still drooping their wings a bit when laying down but thankfully I havent seen them doing it when standing. We've been getting some on and off heavy rain so I would assume the humidity is a bit higher i've been moving the heat lamp up one link at a time to see if they show any changes in behavior. But so far nothing yet. (the temp is currently around 75-77° F under the lamp)

Yesterday was day 5 of corid treatment but because of the still droopy wings I figured I should just continue to day 7.

Their breathing is still a bit concerning to me (mostly the one who is growing a bit slower) and I noticed I could hear a bit of sniffling/audible breathing from all of them when I was holding them. I have vet rx on hand but im not sure if its okay to use with chicks or if its even necessary.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

They still look too hot to me, that's why the wings are spread out.

I'm glad to hear they are still going.

 

[Crazy_Coop]

They still look too hot to me, that's why the wings are spread out.

I'm glad to hear they are still going.

I know im new to this but im tired of continually being told they are too hot, I put a thermometer in the brooder like you said and it is currently around 70°F they are only 3 weeks old and from everything i've read 3 week old chicks should be closer to around 75-85°F

Now that the temperature is cooler they are still drooping their wings and they have all started sleeping on the roosting bar (I would assume to get closer to the heat). They've also started shaking to ruffle their feathers which they werent doing before and I know that is a sign they are cold.

Even if it is too hot then why can I HEAR how plugged up their little noses are, and their breathing is continuing to become more noticable.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I know im new to this but im tired of continually being told they are too hot, I put a thermometer in the brooder like you said and it is currently around 70°F they are only 3 weeks old and from everything i've read 3 week old chicks should be closer to around 75-85°F

Now that the temperature is cooler they are still drooping their wings and they have all started sleeping on the roosting bar (I would assume to get closer to the heat). They've also started shaking to ruffle their feathers which they werent doing before and I know that is a sign they are cold.

Even if it is too hot then why can I HEAR how plugged up their little noses are, and their breathing is continuing to become more noticable.

Have you looked at the nostrils to see if there's food or debris stuck?

I don't see anything concerning in the video, no respiratory distress and with the sound all the way up, I don't hear any noticeable breathing sounds.

Shaking to ruffle feathers is normal. They are growing in new feathers and shaking off the keratin sheaths. Give them a pan of dirt/sand mix so they can take a dust bath, this can help.

Do you have your outside coop/run ready for them? If your weather is mild, they can probably go outside in a few more weeks.

 

[Crazy_Coop]

Have you looked at the nostrils to see if there's food or debris stuck?

I don't see anything concerning in the video, no respiratory distress and with the sound all the way up, I don't hear any noticeable breathing sounds.

Shaking to ruffle feathers is normal. They are growing in new feathers and shaking off the keratin sheaths. Give them a pan of dirt/sand mix so they can take a dust bath, this can help.

Do you have your outside coop/run ready for them? If your weather is mild, they can probably go outside in a few more weeks.

Their nostrils look fine and my phone was unable to pick up the sound of her breathing from that distance but i can assure you its audible in real life.

Last night I stopped corrid treatment and have been giving them plain water, the one who is of most concern has started drooping her wings while standing again and i've noticed the rest of them getting worse when laying down.

We have a coop and run ready for them but unfortunately there has been a lot of rain and it hasn't been very warm so we havent takem them outside yet.

 

[BastyPutt]

Respectfully, and I know your getting frustrated - but these chicks are too hot. Especially considering they are all displaying the same behavior. It is very likely your thermometer may be incorrect.

I would suggest turning off the heat lamp for a few hours and monitoring their behavior. I would wager that you see the droopy wings stop and their activity level pick up. Once they pile together in a corner of the brooder, you know they are getting too cold and you can turn the lamp back on. If you are in a room with a decent ambient temp, they may not pile or need the light.

 

[Brahmas Beauty Homestead]

I have a ceramic heater and can buy a dimmer seitch what kind of light is best for them to be able to see

Wow this is a late reply. My apologies I have been in the hospital with surgeries and just back at it. I just use a 40watt LED you don’t want a regular bulb as it emits to much heat. I use the small bulbs and a 5” lamp . Here are screen shots of the items I use in the brooder . I have a bracket inside the toy box to hang the lamps on

 

[Crazy_Coop]

Respectfully, and I know your getting frustrated - but these chicks are too hot. Especially considering they are all displaying the same behavior. It is very likely your thermometer may be incorrect.

Yes they have all displayed the same behaviour however it is very important to note that the behaviour started with only one chick then spread to the rest the next day.

I havent unplugged the lamp entirely however I raised it almost to the ceiling and had the window wide open the other day... They where all laying bunched up together and they still had droopy wings. I understand that overheating chicks is a very common begginer mistake but I can clearly see with all of the experimentation that I've done and how much I've been observing their behaviour that the issue is not heat.

Also I would like to point out that I have both a digital and mercury thermometer inside their brooder and I doubt that both of them are wrong.

Even given this I will entertain the idea again and fully unplug the lamp. I will let you know how it goes, thank you.