Chick can't walk, rolls on back

Hi,

It's been 113 degrees plus here in AZ, so I've been bringing in chicks as they hatch from their first-time mother after a couple of mishaps. One of the 3 day old chicks has a slight splay I think, one leg slightly outward, and can't stand or walk. When I try to hold her to feed her, she sways her head from extreme left to right, kind of dizzy like. She's getting better at her aim and now can peck out the clods of baby parrot food I show her. As I'm trying to do the different poultry physical therapies I'm reading about in Backyard Chickens, she will suddenly sort of loose control neurologically. I'm not sure if she's just trying so hard she goes into overload? Is it normal for splay legged chicks to sort of loose their equilibrium, or does she have another problem going on besides the splay?

I'm trying the band aid method, but am thinking about switching to the rubber band and straw hobbles. She's a tiny little thing, I wish I had more experience, scared to hurt her, but don't want to quit on her either.

Any help appreciated. Please tell me if splay chicks normally have equilibrium probe too.

I'm so grateful that there's help out there for ppl like me that want to help these little guys, again, thank you! I'm trying not to get discouraged!

Get the chicks on poultry vitamins such as SaveAChick or Poultry Nutri-drench or Poultry Cell vitamins. Dip their beaks in the water, and get them in where the temperature is 90 degrees F. Start them on chick starter grower 20% protein.

Thank you, Eggcessive, for your reply. I did bring the babies inside a few days ago, and have the lamp at 95 degrees--90 sounds more comfortable for me--I have a room warmed especially for them, but I'm in there almost all day feeding and caring for them, especially "Play," the one that can't stand or walk. Play is wearing the band aid hobbles, she slept in a cloth donut last night to keep her upright. I'm hoping I can help her to stand on her own and walk, not there yet. The mom outside is still sitting on quite a clutch of eggs, how hot can the babies survive outside? We just set up misters last night.

Any help with Play learning to stand or walk would be appreciated, especially if you've been thru it.

Poultry Pedia Podiatry is a good site for leg and foot problems. Start poultry vitamins in the water. Do a search at the top of the page for chick chair or slings--those can be helpful to get a chick upright.

Thank you Eggcessive, wow there's a lot of good stuff there! I've been working on a sling. I think there might be something wrong neurologically also. She almost acts like she has cerebral palsy or something--her head will pull strongly to the left, then pause, then go to the right ofttimes when she is trying to aim at the food I hold up in front of her. Sometimes, as she's trying to do something ( i can feel that she's trying), she sort of goes into a meaningless spasm, like quickly flipping over backwards.
I think and hope and pray these episodes are lessoning, and that her brain is getting trained to act more normally. I'm afraid if I'm wrong, I may have to figure out a way to end her struggles. I'm so hoping someone out there will help me. This is all new stuff to me, and I'm not sure of myself.

Everyone's time is precious Thank you for reaching out to us

Chick Chairs and slings:

Aw, somehow the post I made yesterday thanking Eggcessive for the great inspirational pictures has disappeared--Thank you so much for the picts--great ideas--I'm trying a clear plastic cup, modeled after the designs you shared now. Play is getting stronger, able to push herself up and stand, only with help tho. I'm thinking she might not be splay, but something that makes her lay on her side flat. She sways her head uncontrolably back and forth when she tried to peck at food, but that is happening less and less. Maybe she has the hock tendon problem?

Her default position is flat on one side. I've been propping her up in a round towel, have her feet hobbled. Rubbing her little down to keep her comfortable. However, she slept on her side last night and has regressed a little. She's a tiny tiny little thing.

From being in the cup exercises, she jumps up and down. She gets excited when I give her special baby parrot food and flips over backwards-I try to soften the results.

She's eating good, but does sull up when she loses control and goes or flips backwards.
My husband has been working on a little wagon with wheels to put her in. (I'll wait til he has it perfected before I let her try it)

Her legs are straight now. However, she has no balance and can't stand. I worked with her for a long time to get her to sit without falling--the longest time was 19 seconds. I studied some more on this site and thought maybe it was a vitamin deficiency and started some selenium & vitamin E. She has a big crop now, not sure if it was the vitamins?

I'm sorry that your chick has not responded to your treatment. It sounds like she has severe neurological problems that she was born with. The vitamins shouldn't make her sick, but she may just be having another symptom of her illness. It's always heartbreaking when you have a chick that doesn't get better.