Handicapped Baby Chicken

[chickie2456]

So last Saturday (April 29th) my school had a bunch of chickens hatch. One of the chickens needed help getting out of the egg. So over the weekend my teacher helped hatch the chick. The chicken was born with curled feet and splayed legs. So I took the chicken home on Monday and made it a brace and I got bandaids to try and straighten out his feet. I know it says it takes about 24 hours but I got the brace on the chicken two days after she was born. So I'm assuming that it will take a bit longer for her legs and feet to heal. I've been carrying around this chicken all week to try and rehabilitate her and letting her try and stand every once in a while (she can't stand up by herself she like nose dives because she has no balance). I've been feeding her scrambled eggs mixed with chicken feed the past week. Today I added some avocado to her diet and mixed her water with some apple cider vinegar. I think I'm also going to try and give her some yogurt tomorrow. Besides her bad legs, she's a week old and hasn't really aged. She still has her fluff and her siblings are already nearly twice the size of her, but she eats and drinks fine. She has sneezed a little bit but nothing come out, she also breaths a little heavy but I think that may be from low energy. If anyone has any suggestions on what to do it would be greatly appreciated!

 

[sunny & the 5 egg layers]

Do you notice any crackling sound when she breathes? Just curious, as I have had one with similar symptoms.

Sadly, my girl died after 5 days. (Her thread is here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/867055/do-i-help-my-eggs-day-22 )

It is really hard to help young chicks. I've done it several times, some live and some aren't so lucky. Sometimes they are born with an internal defect.

I'm really hoping yours make it. You seem to be doing the right things. Egg is very healthy for them (I like to hard boil an egg and feed them the yolk watered down with some water.)
So glad to hear that your chick is eating and drinking, that is a very good sign.
As I've learned the hard way, do not use a syringe when feeding young chicks. I had good luck with using a piece of thread and tie a loop at the end. Cut it very long so that you won't lose it if the chick decided to try and eat it, lol.

Don't leave any water out in the open for her to fall into if she is very off balance.

Good luck with yours. If you post pictures, I do think it may be helpful as far as her leg problem goes.

I had a hen with a leg problem once. She did very well, I never was able to fix her legs, but she learned to live with it and was able to live a lot longer than anybody expected (almost a full year). She was very happy.

Her thread is here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...es-of-negu-new-update-7-6-pg-5-pictures-added


I have another hen who developed a leg problem when she was older. She has a limp, but does very well despite it.

Good luck, please keep us updated.

 

[chickie2456]

She does make a crackling sound when she breaths. Do you know what causes it? Hopefully she'll be okay she's a week old today.

 

[sunny & the 5 egg layers]

I have had two chicks that I hatched before, each having curled toes and the crackling sound when they breathed.
They were from seperate hatches and both sadly passed away. The first chick lived for 8 days, the second chick lived for 5 days.

I still have not found out what causes the crackling sound. I tried duramycin 10 for the first chick, and amoxicillin on the second chick.
They both passed despite my efforts.

You could try getting some Tylan. I've been told before to try it on my chick, but I never have done it. Tylan is supposed to help respiratory problems.

It's so difficult helping these chicks. I know how hard it is as Ive been in that situation twice before.
My two didn't make it.

I'm very interested in finding out how your baby does. Best of luck to you, keep me updated.


Edited to ask:
What is the Apple Cider Vinegar for?

 

[chickie2456]

It's so sad when baby chickens pass away. But today she's doing good she loves yogurt which is really good for antibiotics. Today I let her lay out in the sun to get some vitamin D. Apple cider vinegar is to help the immune system. Also there's a lot if amino acids that help the body for chickens and humans.

 

[chickie2456]

 

[chickie2456]

She is very alert but she does enjoy sleeping.

 

[sunny & the 5 egg layers]

Looks like you are doing a really great job. I love the pictures. Any idea what breed she is?

I was reading earlier about Apple Cider Vinegar helping with respiratory problems, maybe it will help with her crackling sound?

Good luck with your chick, and please keep me posted. I'm really interested in seeing how your chick turns out.

 

[Farmer Viola]

you may already know this, but it is important to note that it should be organic apple cider vinegar. regular distilled apple cider vinegar is not the same thing.

organic acv has the living mother in it, it looks like a floating thing in the jar. this is a protein enzyme that makes the OACV so special! "bragg's" is the brand that I use.

 

[sunny & the 5 egg layers]

How's your chick?