Feeling discouraged, don't know how to help my chicks

KaelaM

Songster
13 Years
Mar 28, 2012
197
67
246
Eugene, Oregon
Hello, I'm hoping to get some advice.

I've had chickens for 14 years, and raised probably 5 or 6 batches of chicks, mostly from feed stores. I've never really had issues, it's always gone well.

This year, I got Chocolate Orpingtons, Cream Legbars, and a Mottled Houdan. The Orpingtons are 2 weeks old today, the others are a week old. One of my most active Orpingtons has been lying down a lot the last two days. She is normally the first to run out from the brooder plate, but now she just lays there. There is no visible sign of illness or injury. But I'm concerned that she went from being very active to not at all. In looking her over, the ONLY thing slightly different was a little bald spot on her belly (picture attached). She will walk a bit, and then lay down (video attached)

They are in a brooder in the laundry room, the room ranges in temp from 65-73. They have a brooder plate. No one acts too hot or too cold.

They are eating Kalmbach medicated starter, I did switch them from Purina start and grow because I saw somewhere that this causes pasty butt. The pasty butt is in one of the Legbars, she's had it constantly for days. I put sav-a-chick probiotic in the water on Monday, I change the water daily and they also have normal water available.

They just changed to a bigger brooder yesterday, I added large flake pine shaving because before they were just on puppy pee pads.

That is all the information I can think of, I will post some pictures of the orpington. I really just don't know what to do to help the two who are struggling thrive.
 

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Last edited:
how are they now
Hi!
The Orpington snapped out of it after a couple days, not sure what was up with that.
The legbar with pasty butt struggled for a few days, but I checked her constantly and she’s back to normal now. However, she’s very small. I compared her to my other legbar of the same age, the healthy one is 109g and this one is only 68g. She’s growing, but slowly.
 
Hi!
The Orpington snapped out of it after a couple days, not sure what was up with that.
The legbar with pasty butt struggled for a few days, but I checked her constantly and she’s back to normal now. However, she’s very small. I compared her to my other legbar of the same age, the healthy one is 109g and this one is only 68g. She’s growing, but slowly.
thats wonderful i hope that happens with my orpington, whats your experince with different breeds and which ones did you like the best?
 
thats wonderful i hope that happens with my orpington, whats your experince with different breeds and which ones did you like the best?
I’ve mostly had sex-links. My current flock is a backyard mix and a silkie. The chicks I have now, Chocolate Orpington, Cream Legbar, Mottled Houdan, and French Blue Copper Maran are the first I’ve had of these breeds. So hard to say opinions yet.

What’s wrong with your Orpington? I will say I added grit and probiotics. Although they shouldn’t have needed grit, they’re just on a starter feed.
 
I've noticed a lot of people having problems with small chick health have them on wood shavings. Somehow, I feel corn cob or paper pellets are safer, but no science behind that feeling.
 

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