Hello all,
Got our peeps today, finally! Our first ones ever. And very excited. Haven't even had time to post yet.
Worried about one though. He wasn't doing this earlier. (Had them about 2 hours.)
He scratches with either leg ... seems to be trying to scratch his eyes or his chest. He does this frantically, and loses his balance, and flops to his back, and flops all over. I have looked and I can't see anything wrong. While I hold him he is calm and doesn't move, but when I put him down he starts again. I'm afraid he will scratch and hurt someone else, or another will hurt him, so I put him (for the moment) in the shipping box with a heating pad under one side on low. I don't know if I'm going to leave him there.
He uses both legs to scratch, and doesn't seem to be aiming for any particular spot, just his head or his front. I can't see anything at all wrong with him otherwise.
All else seems ok (except one banty that peeps LOUD all the time). All have had water with sugar and quick-chick (6 tsp and 1/2 tsp per 1/2 gal) in distilled water, and are pecking at starter/grower crumbles (the feed store is out of starter but I'm going to another store and get some later today. Temp seems ok, as they aren't huddling and are moving around. I have a 60 watt white bulb about 12" above them and a heating pad on low beneath. No a/c in the house, it's about 80 in here. Don't know what else to report. It's probably a hen chick. I think it's a black sex-link. Chicks are from Murray McMurray and I picked them up today. They may have spent a day at the post office, no one is sure.
Thanks if anyone can help. I'm wondering if there is some neurological condition that causes this? He almost seems in pain and it's hard to watch him.
Forgot to say that they were immunized for Marek's and Coccidiosis.
trish (GoodEgg)
Got our peeps today, finally! Our first ones ever. And very excited. Haven't even had time to post yet.
Worried about one though. He wasn't doing this earlier. (Had them about 2 hours.)
He scratches with either leg ... seems to be trying to scratch his eyes or his chest. He does this frantically, and loses his balance, and flops to his back, and flops all over. I have looked and I can't see anything wrong. While I hold him he is calm and doesn't move, but when I put him down he starts again. I'm afraid he will scratch and hurt someone else, or another will hurt him, so I put him (for the moment) in the shipping box with a heating pad under one side on low. I don't know if I'm going to leave him there.
He uses both legs to scratch, and doesn't seem to be aiming for any particular spot, just his head or his front. I can't see anything at all wrong with him otherwise.
All else seems ok (except one banty that peeps LOUD all the time). All have had water with sugar and quick-chick (6 tsp and 1/2 tsp per 1/2 gal) in distilled water, and are pecking at starter/grower crumbles (the feed store is out of starter but I'm going to another store and get some later today. Temp seems ok, as they aren't huddling and are moving around. I have a 60 watt white bulb about 12" above them and a heating pad on low beneath. No a/c in the house, it's about 80 in here. Don't know what else to report. It's probably a hen chick. I think it's a black sex-link. Chicks are from Murray McMurray and I picked them up today. They may have spent a day at the post office, no one is sure.
Thanks if anyone can help. I'm wondering if there is some neurological condition that causes this? He almost seems in pain and it's hard to watch him.
Forgot to say that they were immunized for Marek's and Coccidiosis.
trish (GoodEgg)
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