Baby chicken crackling?

[LongLiveChickens]

I have baby chicks, two of them. Recently I've been hearing crackling noises or like a slow puckering noise? it sounds like its coming from the rear end. The bedding for their cage is unbleached white bedding, Ive seen them peck at it or try eating it. The bedding isn't dusty. Their rear behinds are pulsating alot? (just alot of movement) Im really concerned please help!

One of my chickens also has bald spots on the top of both wings, shes way bigger than the other chick in her cage. I doubt shes getting bullied.

Any advice please?

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

How old are these chicks? Any pictures of them? What do you mean by unbleached white bedding? Is it shavings? What does their poop look like? Are their butt feathers all crusty? Where did you get them?

 

[LongLiveChickens]

How old are these chicks? Any pictures of them? What do you mean by unbleached white bedding? Is it shavings? What does their poop look like? Are their butt feathers all crusty? Where did you get them?

At least 2-3 weeks old. The bedding is paper. Their poop is normal although it's inconsistent, sometimes it's watery but then normal then cecal poop. Their butt feathers are not crusty, I got them from a flea market.

 

[coach723]

If they are eating the paper then I would switch to large pine flakes, you can buy that in bales. Don't use cedar, the fumes are harmful. What are you feeding? Pictures would be very helpful. The bald spots could be normal, hard to say without seeing them. Chicks go through several juvenile molts until they are around 5 months old and sometimes during that they can have bare spots. If you have one chick that is much larger than the others, then you may have bantams and a large fowl, or the big one may be a meat bird. Again, need to see them.

 

[LongLiveChickens]

If they are eating the paper then I would switch to large pine flakes, you can buy that in bales. Don't use cedar, the fumes are harmful. What are you feeding? Pictures would be very helpful. The bald spots could be normal, hard to say without seeing them. Chicks go through several juvenile molts until they are around 5 months old and sometimes during that they can have bare spots. If you have one chick that is much larger than the others, then you may have bantams and a large fowl, or the big one may be a meat bird. Again, need to see them.

this is the bigger one, I hope you can see the spots in the photo. sorry for bad quality, I changed the bedding to (wood shavings?) and I changed their food to a medicated chick crumble. "manna pro chick starter"

if it helps, this is them laying down together.

 

[coach723]

Since they came from a flea market, they may not be the same age. When they are very young the age difference is more obvious. Not a meat bird, so that bird is probably just a little older. Different breeds feather out differently, I don't see anything to worry about, the balder spots should fill in as the chick feathers out. They often lose the fluff before the feathers start to come it, leaving bare looking spots. Some adolescents become very ratty looking at some points. They look pretty normal to me. If they are eating and drinking and pooping, then I wouldn't worry too much, I don't see anything that looks obviously wrong. No idea what the sounds are. Do they have a heat source?

 

[LongLiveChickens]

Since they came from a flea market, they may not be the same age. When they are very young the age difference is more obvious. Not a meat bird, so that bird is probably just a little older. Different breeds feather out differently, I don't see anything to worry about, the balder spots should fill in as the chick feathers out. They often lose the fluff before the feathers start to come it, leaving bare looking spots. Some adolescents become very ratty looking at some points. They look pretty normal to me. If they are eating and drinking and pooping, then I wouldn't worry too much, I don't see anything that looks obviously wrong. No idea what the sounds are. Do they have a heat source?

They don't have a heat source but it's pretty hot here. One of them lays down on their chin, Is this a good sign? I read somewhere it's because they're comfortable or something. Also, do they need sand? for the sand baths or are they okay without?

 

[coach723]

Chicks need supplemental heat until they are fully feathered, usually around the 5 to 8 week mark. If they are in the 3rd week they would still need it to be 75 degrees in the warmest spot. If they are huddling together a lot then they are not warm enough. They should have periods of running around, eating, drinking, scratching around, maybe trying to dustbathe, and then they will rest or nap. And they sometimes just flop on their bellys sleeping when they are little. That will gradually stop and they will start trying to roost.
You can give them a dish of soil from out in your yard, where they will be living when they are big enough, to scratch and peck and dustbathe in. I use a large plant saucer, makes it easy to dump and clean out. They really enjoy that, and it exposes them to the microbes in your soil while their immune systems are developing, which is a good thing. They grow quickly, so if you don't have a coop ready for them, then now is not too soon to get that ready. They will need to be in a predator proof coop at least during the night hours. During the day it's personal choice if you are going to let them free range or not. Until they are full grown even a hawk could pick them off.
More good info in this link on raising brooder chicks, and you can search for predator proofing coops and runs.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...first-60-days-of-raising-baby-chickens.47691/