Chick with weak legs! Help!

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amshizzle

amshizzle

In the Brooder
Nov 12, 2015
36
1
36
Fort Worth, Texas
I have a nearly five week old production red chick that has very week legs. She makes her way just fine to the food water dish but her legs seem to have little function. She mostly can only travel small distances. I want to fix her but I am unsure how. I have read many people making splints from straws or athletic tape.
Any suggestions?
 
How long have the legs been weak?
Give some vitamins...polyvisol baby vitamins without iron

Might help or if problem has just begun it might be something else...
....Mareks comes to mind tho it might be early for that.

Any other symptoms?
Any other chicks looking sick?
 
Last edited:
Make sure that she is drinking and eating enough. Any type of weakness could be a result of coccidiosis at that age, or being kept from eating and drinking. Corid (amprollium, ampromed) is the treatment for coccidiosis. Symptoms include sleepiness, standing puffed up or hunched, or too weak to stand, not eatring, and diarrhea or bloody droppings.
 
@aart
I just started to notice them within the week but all would be standing when I was in the brooder so it is possible they have just become worse. All the other chicks seem just fine. Her poop also seems normal - no weird color either.

@Eggcessive
She is drinking and eating as I have moved her into her own space as of last night and have monitored her much more closely. She is much smaller than the others but she is keeping up. I haven't noticed any bloody droppings and I don't think she is more sleepy, just unable to stand. She uses her wings to keep her balance as she shuffles places.



When I pick her up and attempt to lay her back down... she has trouble finding her legs. sometimes she just lets them sprawl out behind her because she can't catch her balance.
 
It sounds like you are doing all the things possible for her. It is not impossible to show symptoms of Mareks at this age. Also since coccidiosis can be possible and common at this age, Corid which is just a thiamine blocker, is perfectly safe to treat her, just in case. Since not all strains of cocci cause blood in droppings, it might be a good thing to try if possible.
 

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