Newbie chick mamma with 3 wk old chicks poss mites?

[niellyc]

Hey y'all!

I'm a total newbie and literally know nothing about chicks /chickens! My boyfriend and I decided we wanted to get a few chickens for fresh eggs, and we wanted to get Easter eggers cause of the fun colored eggs.

We picked up a couple 3 week old chicks yesterday from someone we found on craigslist. They're Easter eggers mixed with a lavender amaraucana rooster. Most of the chicks are missing feathers on their wings and under them but one of the little guys is pretty much bald from the neck to tail. The skin looks a little dry/flaky and has a yellow tint to it but not red or bumpy. They're also scratching their head and shaking. The guy we got them from had a bunch of little chicks in a small area and they were all walking on eachother. He says the feather loss was due to the chicks stepping on eachother but I just want to make sure it's nothing to worry about like mites/lice....could they me shedding their baby feathers and getting their big feathers now? Right now they're black and he said they're going to grow up to look white. Here's what they look like right now....

We went down to the local feed store and spoke with the lady that owns it she said it sounds like there were just too many chicks in a small area and that if it is mites try diatomaceous earth. We picked up a bad of food grade diatomaceous earth and she said to sprinkle some on them and in their food. Does that sound about right? We also got a bad of chick starter/grower food is that the right kind of food for them right now and is that all they need to eat? Thank you all so much. I know about cats/dogs but totally clueless about chickens.

 

[BonRae67]

The DE will help with the mites and will help with any worms if they have them. It looks like who you got them from didn't take great care of the little cuties. I see that they are getting feathers, good thing. Chick starter is the proper food for them, I would get some vitamins for them too. The lady at the feed store will become your best friend. They usually have heard and seen everything. They need a good clean home to help them recover from this. How are you keeping them warm?

 

[niellyc]

The DE will help with the mites and will help with any worms if they have them. It looks like who you got them from didn't take great care of the little cuties. I see that they are getting feathers, good thing. Chick starter is the proper food for them, I would get some vitamins for them too. The lady at the feed store will become your best friend. They usually have heard and seen everything. They need a good clean home to help them recover from this. How are you keeping them warm?

They really didn't take good care of them they didn't look healthy and we almost didn't get them but I felt so bad for them and wanted to help them! We have them in a Tupperware Rubbermaid container right now in our garage with a heat lamp above them that has a red lightbulb. They feel pretty warm. What kind of vitamins do you think we should add?

We also wanted to add a few more day old chicks soon but maybe we should wait until we find out what's wrong? Or just keep them seperate?

 

[dawg53]

If the chicks had lice and/or mites, you would see them on your chicks. Lice are white or off white in color and crawl quickly through feathers and fluff. Mites look like pepper, are slow movers or dont move at all. The vent area is the place to look for external parasites where it's warm and moist.
The feather loss is most likely due to overcrowding. Chicks also molt fluff when growing. I can see pin feathers growing on the chicks in the pics you provided, proof of molting fluff.
FYI: DE is ineffective in preventing and treating worms. For lice and mite infestations (mites are killers)...you would need a more potent product to eliminate the parasites such as sevin dust, malathion and others.

 

[BonRae67]

The vitamins are powdered that go in the water. The feed store should have them. I would not introduce new chicks until these guys are better. You can get them just don't put them together. Sounds like they have a good change because of loving people like you.

 

[niellyc]

If the chicks had lice and/or mites, you would see them on your chicks. Lice are white or off white in color and crawl quickly through feathers and fluff. Mites look like pepper, are slow movers or dont move at all. The vent area is the place to look for external parasites where it's warm and moist.
The feather loss is most likely due to overcrowding. Chicks also molt fluff when growing. I can see pin feathers growing on the chicks in the pics you provided, proof of molting fluff.
FYI: DE is ineffective in preventing and treating worms. For lice and mite infestations (mites are killers)...you would need a more potent product to eliminate the parasites such as sevin dust, malathion and others.

What would you recommend I treat these little guys with? I want to just treat them to be safe and get them feeling better. They're 3 weeks old. Is Sevin dust safe to use on them? What kind of dewormer would work best? Thank you so much for your help!

 

[dawg53]

Do you actually see lice or mites on them? If not, they dont need treatment. They are too young to have worms, worming isnt needed. They should be eating chick starter. You can give them Sav-A-Chick electrolytes or Probios. You can add it to their feed to make a soft mash for them to eat if you wish. Either will help with stress and improve feather growth.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/sav-a-chicktrade;-electrolyte-and-vitamin-supplement

 

[niellyc]

Do you actually see lice or mites on them? If not, they dont need treatment. They are too young to have worms, worming isnt needed. They should be eating chick starter. You can give them Sav-A-Chick electrolytes or Probios. You can add it to their feed to make a soft mash for them to eat if you wish. Either will help with stress and improve feather growth.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/sav-a-chicktrade;-electrolyte-and-vitamin-supplement

Not exactly sure see white flakes but they don't move and I think it's from the bedding. I'll definitely add some vitamins to their feed. I guess just have to wait it out and hope the feathers grow back. Thanks for your help

 

[dawg53]

Quote:
It is dander from skin and shaft sheathing, nothing to worry about.