Katrisha Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 Hi Guys, One of my chicks has had a croaky chirp for at least a week or so now. Apart from a brief cold which her and her sister have had (but now seem to be getting over with the help of some Herban), she seems to have been ok. They haven't been outside or had any contact with the outside. The only other animal they've met has been a cricket which was eaten about 3 weeks ago now! I've read an article online about gapeworm, and I'm a bit worried because it suggests some of the symptoms she has - she was a little wheezing sounding, but maybe that was her cold? She shakes her head on occasion (but is also getting her feathers come through so has been itching a lot, maybe it's the discomfort?). She also gapes on occasion, but they both do that and have done since they were in the brooder - I read it was a sign of them just trying to cool down a little/get more air when it's warm. So I really don't know what to do - are they too young to be wormed? The other chick doesn't have the croaky voice, and they are both very clean around their bums. They've been eating and drinking ok too. As I say they haven't been outside or eaten anything other than medicated chick crumb and one cricket (which was eaten by the one who now has a croaky voice!), they don't even like meal worms! And she's not always croaking. She does croak on a daily basis, but it's almost like she's picking and choosing, because sometimes when she talks to her sister she chirps normally! What is going on with my chick?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Tea Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 How confident are you that she is a 'she'?! My young cockerel makes a very croaky noise when he's practising his crowing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 does sound like you might have a cockerel there what breed are they and have you got any photos you can put on here? yse they are to young to worm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckmum6 Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 A couple of mine were croaky at 6wks, one was indeed crowing, the other just a deep voiced hen! Just keep a close eye health wise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katrisha Posted July 20, 2011 Author Share Posted July 20, 2011 See we did joke about this! But I hope it's not true as the neighbours will not be pleased! She's a Chocolate Orpington Bantam so they are meant to be autosexed. They certainly look the same to me, but I'm no expert!! I haven't noticed her exhibiting any different types of behaviour to her sister... This is them yesterday on the beanbag - And this is them when they were about a week old They do (or did - we lost one last week ) all look the same so I don't know how you'd tell? Any thoughts would be great! Thanks guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katrisha Posted July 20, 2011 Author Share Posted July 20, 2011 I just had another thought - the one that's croaky, we used to differentiate her from the others when she was really little as she seemed to have more brown on her chest than the other two - you can probably see a little here, she's the one on the far left in the picture; That's the only thing that's seemed to have been different with her, up until this croaky voice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfer_chicken Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 The picture above is a bit too blurry to tell, and I'm no expert- but 'she' seems to have a slightly larger comb than the other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katrisha Posted July 20, 2011 Author Share Posted July 20, 2011 It's so difficult to try and get a picture with them moving all the time! My partner's back soon, I'll try to get him to get a better picture with the good camera, rather than my phone, and I'll share them later on - see if anyone can help! Thanks! Kat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 If it's the one at the back standing up then it could well be a boy but I think Orpingtons are difficult to sex any way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coco Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 If its any help I have an 12 week old choc orp bantam and she [i hope ] has only just started to develp a comb. The breeder said that they could be sexed by 12 weeks, I'm thinking your croaky girl could well be a boy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katrisha Posted July 20, 2011 Author Share Posted July 20, 2011 The breeder said that they could be sexed by 12 weeks, I'm thinking your croaky girl could well be a boy. That's really interesting, because I was told they were auto-sexed?! Have I been lied to?! The breeders have been a brilliant help,, they run a huge farm with hundreds of free range chickens, but this doesn't sound too good... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 They arent autosexing - thats the wrong word to use really as it applies only to a small group of specially developed pure breeds If you breed a black orpington cockerel that is genetically 'split' for chocolate to a pure chocolate hen you will get choc pullets and black cockerels - this is probably what they are doing However if you breed a choc male to a choc female the above doesnt apply and you get 100% choc chicks Orpingtons can be hard to sex so unless they are sure the breeding was as per the first example above then it would be hard to sell chicks as sexed at 6 weeks It goes without saying that the breeding pen birds cannot free range unless they are secure from other cockerels but any good breeder will know this so you should be ok I do think it unlikely to be crowing as orpingtons are not a very fast developing breed (although its not impossible) I also think its unlikely that its gapeworm at such a young age I'd keep an eye on it though, its not good that a second chick is showing signs of problems Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katrisha Posted July 21, 2011 Author Share Posted July 21, 2011 Thanks Redwing! Both the parents are Choc. I've had these chicks since they were four days old, and the breeder guaranteed they were all females - they sell a lot of them too and have a good reputation with a few people we already know who get chickens from them, so I didn't feel there was any reason to doubt what they have told us. But I'm concerned that you say these birds aren't autosexed? Out of all the pure breeds they have, they said the only auto-sexed ones are the chocolate orpington bantam and cream legbars. Health wise they both seem fine - they are chirpy, scratching about and behaving normally. They still have the odd sneeze, but in general they seem much better since they've been on the herban. I don't know how long common colds in chicks tend to last? In regards to the gaping - I think this might be her adjusting her crop? I've done a bit more reading (still need to do more because I don't fully understand it yet), but as she's not doing it excessively I'm making a guess that this might be it. Do you have any further info on it, or think that might be the case? I'm very paranoid now that we've ended up with a boy! I love 'em to bits and don't want another to go!! But I don't think a cockerel would go down too well in our residential area. We will just have to wait and see I guess. I'm just pleased they seem to be well and happy. Here's another question just for good measure; Do pullets do the face off thing? Where they puff up there feathers are do a little run towards each other and then stand looking at each other in a dominating way for a second, before wondering off and doing their own thing? I'm trying to learn about the differences in behaviour being the males and females to see if I can spot it that way, but sometimes they're so similar and other times they're so different! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 All chicks will do the face off thing Have a Google of autosexing and you will discover that its a small group of pure breeds that have been 'created' to have different feather patterns at hatch - the breed names end in 'bar' so Wybar, Welbar, Cream Legbar, Gold Legbar etc... Choc orps arent autosexing but as I said when you have a black split male to choc females the sexes are different colours If both parents are choc then I am 95% sure that all chicks would be too and the ability to tell males from females at hatch vanishes, if they arent all choc then they certainly wont be split in to sexes, it would be black/choc/khaki across both sexes I breed choc Wyandottes and certainly my choc-choc breeding results in 100% choc chicks, I have NEVER had a different colour chick from a choc-choc pairing But dont rely on me - some googling would put your mind at rest maybe? Some breeders are able to see the development of the males much quicker and weed those out of the birds to be sold but with orps unelss the person was very experienced there is a high chance of making a mistake, in my recent hatch of orpingtons I was able to sex them at about 8 weeks ish If you are positive that both parents are choc I dont see how someone sold the chick as females at four days old, there are certainly a lot of people very good at sexing chicks out there so give them the benefit of the doubt at this stage but be prepared to find that later you may have a male Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katrisha Posted July 21, 2011 Author Share Posted July 21, 2011 Wow, I really don't know now, I'm thrown. Thanks so much for the info - it's really great information. I know they had at least one black oprington but I could have sworn they said both parents were choc - I could be wrong though, I'm doubting myself now! I will just keep an eye on them, their health is the most important thing and as long as they're healthy and having a good time, I'm happy. Thanks so much for all your help - your info has been really valuable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
