(say that quick ten times)
Long time chicken people will know all this stuff. But new people might not. Over the years of raising and hatching birds, this is what I have found to be true in most cases and I share it to help out people who might not know what to do. This is just my opinion and experience. I am no expert.
Screaming chicks. Number one reason, they are cold. Move the light a little closer and make sure there is room for everyone to get under the warmth. Sometimes some get booted out to the cold edges and can't get warm. They will scream about it! Butts caked with poo tell you you've had cold chicks (pasty butt).
Number two reason for screaming chicks is thirst. Sometimes they don't get the hang of drinking. I dip beaks in a shallow water container. But more often than not, they are cold. Rarely do they scream from hunger. If one figures out how to peck at the crumble, before long they all catch on. Monkey see, monkey do.
Rarely, but not unheard of, are insecure chicks that feel all alone in the wide world. They either need more chicks with them or some little toy to cuddle up to. A chick is a creature meant to be cuddled under the downy breast of its mother. A cold, stark, lonely world can be a little overwhelming. And they scream out of lonliness and wanting that place to belong.
Droopy, inactive chicks
Usually too hot. Make sure your chicks can get away from the heat. Take note of the sleeping pattern. If your chicks are all clumped together, they are too cold. If they are sprawled all over, they are too hot! If they are just tucked neatly close but not piling on each other, they are just right.
Sleepy, not moving chicks
I keep repeating myself. Closed eyes are often a sign of pain. If a chick is a little removed from the crowd, not part of what's going on, eyes closed, he's hurting.
Bent toes, splayed legs.
Can be helped with little splints fashioned out of bandaids. This must be done as soon as possible after hatch. I always dose these chicks with cod liver oil.
I find that most chicks with birth/genetic defects just up and die and you had no idea it was coming. A noisy chick most often has a problem that you can fix (water/ warmth). An obvious problem like bad legs can be remedied, yolk belly (yellow belly, omphalitis) while rare, can sometimes be helped by picking the scab off the navel and letting the yolk drain. But this is a hard call to make. Even flippers (more common in turkeys) can be taped into an upright stance in a coffee cup or such to see if it solves the problem.
I find that if I see or notice a problem, I can usually attempt to fix it and in many cases, save the chick. But the truly gentically bad ones either never hatch or die without warning when you had no chance to try anything.
Hope this can help someone who might be trying to figure out what the problem is and what to do about it.
Long time chicken people will know all this stuff. But new people might not. Over the years of raising and hatching birds, this is what I have found to be true in most cases and I share it to help out people who might not know what to do. This is just my opinion and experience. I am no expert.
Screaming chicks. Number one reason, they are cold. Move the light a little closer and make sure there is room for everyone to get under the warmth. Sometimes some get booted out to the cold edges and can't get warm. They will scream about it! Butts caked with poo tell you you've had cold chicks (pasty butt).
Number two reason for screaming chicks is thirst. Sometimes they don't get the hang of drinking. I dip beaks in a shallow water container. But more often than not, they are cold. Rarely do they scream from hunger. If one figures out how to peck at the crumble, before long they all catch on. Monkey see, monkey do.
Rarely, but not unheard of, are insecure chicks that feel all alone in the wide world. They either need more chicks with them or some little toy to cuddle up to. A chick is a creature meant to be cuddled under the downy breast of its mother. A cold, stark, lonely world can be a little overwhelming. And they scream out of lonliness and wanting that place to belong.
Droopy, inactive chicks
Usually too hot. Make sure your chicks can get away from the heat. Take note of the sleeping pattern. If your chicks are all clumped together, they are too cold. If they are sprawled all over, they are too hot! If they are just tucked neatly close but not piling on each other, they are just right.
Sleepy, not moving chicks
I keep repeating myself. Closed eyes are often a sign of pain. If a chick is a little removed from the crowd, not part of what's going on, eyes closed, he's hurting.
Bent toes, splayed legs.
Can be helped with little splints fashioned out of bandaids. This must be done as soon as possible after hatch. I always dose these chicks with cod liver oil.
I find that most chicks with birth/genetic defects just up and die and you had no idea it was coming. A noisy chick most often has a problem that you can fix (water/ warmth). An obvious problem like bad legs can be remedied, yolk belly (yellow belly, omphalitis) while rare, can sometimes be helped by picking the scab off the navel and letting the yolk drain. But this is a hard call to make. Even flippers (more common in turkeys) can be taped into an upright stance in a coffee cup or such to see if it solves the problem.
I find that if I see or notice a problem, I can usually attempt to fix it and in many cases, save the chick. But the truly gentically bad ones either never hatch or die without warning when you had no chance to try anything.
Hope this can help someone who might be trying to figure out what the problem is and what to do about it.
