# Anything I should be worried about?.. Chick question



## ciwheeles (Apr 5, 2013)

I have 8 Barred Plymouth Rock chicks that are now a little over 4 weeks old. They all seemed happy and healthy, but Monday I checked on them first thing in the morning to find one had passed away overnight. 

I immediately removed the deceased chick and move the others into another area. I bleached and scrubbed out their brooder, cleaned their food and water stuff with a little dish soap, and switched them to medicated chick food. Up until then everyone has been acting fine. But, now I have one that's kind of puffing up her feathers a bit and not acting as outgoing. 

She's still alert, I've watched her eat and drink. Besides the puffing she almost seems normal. Is it possible she's sick as well? I have seen the others picking at her, so if she's not is she just maybe the low chick on the pecking order? 

These are my first chickens, so I would just like to get some opinions from people with more knowledge of them.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I would treat them for coccidia. It is a medication that you would put in their water. If they have coccidia, the prevention stuff in the feed won't do anything.


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## StarMFarm (Jan 17, 2013)

I agree it could be coccidia. Or...sometimes when they're all huddling in a corner together to sleep at night the little guys can get stuck on the bottom of the pile and suffocate. I would also check your heat lamp and make sure the temp is just right, could be too hot or too cold. Keep us posted, I hope you can figure out what happened.


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## ciwheeles (Apr 5, 2013)

I went out to the my farm store straight away this morning, and the helped me pick out the right treatment. Thanks for the input!


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## McPhersonFarm (Apr 28, 2013)

Another thing to watch for with chicks is pasty butt. If they don't seem to be growing as fast as others their butts get stopped up and they die. This is a simple remedy of just warm washcloth and water!


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