Hi everyone! I've posted in the raising Raising Chicks forum about a SS chick I have that is picking at feathers. Well, not exactly feathers but down. It's currently isolated and I have 6 other SS chicks (12 days old) in a mixed breed brooder of 29 chicks. I had a problem with one BO chick having had it's tail feathers picked out yesterday when I got home and am treating that one with blue-kote and pin tar salve. It's currently in the brooder doing OK. The SS don't seem to be bothering it at all...it smells bad and probably isn't tasty anymore.
The BO wouldn't eat in isolation and was beating itself up trying to get to the other chicks). The SS in isolation seems to be doing fine all by itself.
I"ve been monitoring all morning and what I"m seeing is that my SS chicks seem to be picking at the down on the chests mostly or the underside of the BO's and the LB's. Not really the dark birds and not in areas where there are blood-filled shafts. It's the down they're after! They are managing to pull some out and are eating it - or that's what it looks like to me. No one is plucked bare in these areas yet or bleeding or anything.
I"ve started giving more protein in the form of hard-boiled eggs and yogurt and the other birds aren't doing this...JUST the SS chicks. The brooder is large, they aren't overheated, no bright lights in there, lots of natural light and good ventilation. They have room to run, scratch, roost and fly a little. Several places to eat, plenty of water with added vitamins. Should I up the protein even more with some tuna or something?
I'm seriously thinking I need to separate the SS chicks into their own brooder. The other chicks are BO, LB, BR and SLW. All bigger chicks than the SS as well. Is it common for SS chicks to be this aggressive with other breeds or does it sound like some kind of protein difficiency? Do these busy little birds need more protein than the other breeds?
I have them on 18% Purina Sunfresh starter and they were started on 20% Kent starter. I switched them over gradually over a few days. I can get a bag of the 20% Kent starter today at my local elevator...could the Sunfresh feed be part of the problem?
Help! These birds are driving me crazy!
I"ve been monitoring all morning and what I"m seeing is that my SS chicks seem to be picking at the down on the chests mostly or the underside of the BO's and the LB's. Not really the dark birds and not in areas where there are blood-filled shafts. It's the down they're after! They are managing to pull some out and are eating it - or that's what it looks like to me. No one is plucked bare in these areas yet or bleeding or anything.
I"ve started giving more protein in the form of hard-boiled eggs and yogurt and the other birds aren't doing this...JUST the SS chicks. The brooder is large, they aren't overheated, no bright lights in there, lots of natural light and good ventilation. They have room to run, scratch, roost and fly a little. Several places to eat, plenty of water with added vitamins. Should I up the protein even more with some tuna or something?
I'm seriously thinking I need to separate the SS chicks into their own brooder. The other chicks are BO, LB, BR and SLW. All bigger chicks than the SS as well. Is it common for SS chicks to be this aggressive with other breeds or does it sound like some kind of protein difficiency? Do these busy little birds need more protein than the other breeds?
I have them on 18% Purina Sunfresh starter and they were started on 20% Kent starter. I switched them over gradually over a few days. I can get a bag of the 20% Kent starter today at my local elevator...could the Sunfresh feed be part of the problem?
Help! These birds are driving me crazy!
