lethargic chick, can't keep head up, what am I doing wrong ?

[Wyorp Rock]

The only thing that concerns me is that squiggles sneezes a lot. She would sneeze before here and there but now it's like every minute, sometimes more, not when she naps thought. I read some threads and for most of them it just resolved on it's own so I'm not panicking. Yet.

Also her back fluff is nowhere to be found. The other two as they grow their backs stay fluffy with the baby feathers but squiggles has like this bold patch where I can see the skin on her back and legs.

Look forward to the photos to see what you are talking about.
Do you see the others picking at her fluff?

Has sneezing increased since you added the Hemp bedding? Sometimes sneezing is environmental (dusty bedding, dusty feed, dusty chick down, etc.). See that there's good ventilation in your brooder.

 

[Apolinne]

So I took some quick pictures. See squiggles ? Naked chicken butt, or back rather. I never saw them picking at each other. Only when they are stealing hardboiled egg pieces from one another
I think ventilation is ok, I suspect the hemp bedding might be the culprit, since now it's two sneezing chicks.

 

[thistlewick]

I had hemp bedding for my first batch of chicks last year for a week or two when they were brand new -- they never sneezed or had any problems with it.

I couldn't find any more hemp so went with pine shavings after that. Its cheap as heck so that's all I have ever used since.

That chick looks like it lost all their down? How old is it?

are you feeding them 20% protein feed?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

So I took some quick pictures. See squiggles ? Naked chicken butt, or back rather. I never saw them picking at each other. Only when they are stealing hardboiled egg pieces from one another
I think ventilation is ok, I suspect the hemp bedding might be the culprit, since now it's two sneezing chicks.

Yes, I see those. I'm not sure what causes that in some chicks. If I remember correctly, it's just down loss or similar and they feather in o.k.

Could be the bedding, hard to know. You can always clean the brooder out, put down some puppy pads and see if the sneezing subsides.

Sometimes they get water in the nostrils when drinking. If they are still active, eating/drinking and growing with no signs of mucous, watery eyes, congestion, etc. I wouldn't worry too much.

 

[Apolinne]

I had hemp bedding for my first batch of chicks last year for a week or two when they were brand new -- they never sneezed or had any problems with it.

I couldn't find any more hemp so went with pine shavings after that. Its cheap as heck so that's all I have ever used since.

That chick looks like it lost all their down? How old is it?

are you feeding them 20% protein feed?

They are all 19 days old today. And the feed has 19 grams of protein per kilo. So about 20 ish %. Is that not enough ? I give them hard boiled egg daily and some greens too, for the last couple of days.

Yes, I see those. I'm not sure what causes that in some chicks. If I remember correctly, it's just down loss or similar and they feather in o.k.

Could be the bedding, hard to know. You can always clean the brooder out, put down some puppy pads and see if the sneezing subsides.

Sometimes they get water in the nostrils when drinking. If they are still active, eating/drinking and growing with no signs of mucous, watery eyes, congestion, etc. I wouldn't worry too much.

They seem to be completely fine behaviour wise. Eating, drinking, running, chirping, no diarrhoea, no discharge. I swapped it back to the puppy pads yesterday. So far not much change in the sneezing. Also I saw them eat the hemp bits from the hemp bedding. Is that safe ?

 

[tinamarieg3]

At five days old, they'll still sleep a lot, and with their heads on the ground, so that may not mean anything with that one.

What I'd think is the same thing, that they were too warm. That little difference you changed it to, they shouldn't have even noticed. In a couple of days, they should be getting 32C.

Try wetting some of their chick crumble. I use plastic peanut butter jar lids, fill it with crumbles, sprinkle water on until soaked, and set it in the brooder. They'll usually go nuts over it and you should see a little more action out of them. That helps hydrate them too.

This was very helpful. We put food and water in the brooder for our day-old chicks and saw them picking at the food but not drinking any water. I was worried that they would become dehydrated under the lamp. I replaced the dry food with the wet. I can rest easier now.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

They are all 19 days old today. And the feed has 19 grams of protein per kilo. So about 20 ish %. Is that not enough ? I give them hard boiled egg daily and some greens too, for the last couple of days.

They seem to be completely fine behaviour wise. Eating, drinking, running, chirping, no diarrhoea, no discharge. I swapped it back to the puppy pads yesterday. So far not much change in the sneezing. Also I saw them eat the hemp bits from the hemp bedding. Is that safe ?

The chick feed sounds fine to me.

Be sure to provide Chick Grit (Crushed Granite) for them.

Since there's not a lot of change in sneezing with the bedding change, likely bedding is not the issue.

I'd make sure there's plenty of ventilation and just monitor them. You report they are active, eating/drinking, etc., so I think they should be fine.

 

[Apolinne]

The chick feed sounds fine to me.

Be sure to provide Chick Grit (Crushed Granite) for them.

Since there's not a lot of change in sneezing with the bedding change, likely bedding is not the issue.

I'd make sure there's plenty of ventilation and just monitor them. You report they are active, eating/drinking, etc., so I think they should be fine.

So they have been on the puppy pads again since Wednesday and there is definitely less sneezing. I open the window more too since it's been warm. Still a sneeze here and there, but much less. They miss digging in the bedding tho. I'll try again in maybe a week, I might still have some wood shavings, maybe that will work.
Also Squiggles has her big girl feathers coming in on her naked butt, the other still just have fluff. So I guess she is just in a hurry to be her majestic feathered self