day old chick with tremors?

[Christie Rhae]

I hatched backyard mix of chicks and one of them has constant shakes. It can walk but prefers to rest on its belly. It seems like when the chick exerts effort to stand and walk is when it shakes all over. It's wings and legs tremor. If the chick is totally relaxed it will stop shaking. Reminds me of someone with Parkinsons. I wonder if it will grow out of it or should I cull? Vitamin deficiency?
I did run some searches but could not find anything. Maybe there is a name for this but I don't know what it is?

 

[chicmom]

Hello! Here's what I would try. I usually don't cull a problem chick right away, unless they have a deformity. With your little trembling chick, I would just wait and see if it improves, and also give it some vitamins and electrolites in the drinking water. I'd give the chick maybe at least three or four days, as long as it didn't appear to be suffering.

Sharon

 

[Christie Rhae]

I culled the chick.

I have never done that before. Twice before I know I should have but could not make myself and the poor chick had to die slowly, I felt so bad about that.
This poor chick was getting trampled and really could not stand up for more than a fraction of a second. I know it would have had a hard life.
I have read lots about how to cull. It seems the most efficient way is to break its neck, I just could not bring myself to break this little chicks body in any way. I hope it did not suffer, I drowned it. Such a wimpy thing to do. I suck.
But this little creature that came into existence because of me, will not suffer any more... because of me....

Wow I hate this part of raising chickens.

 

[dawg53]

I culled the chick.

I have never done that before. Twice before I know I should have but could not make myself and the poor chick had to die slowly, I felt so bad about that.
This poor chick was getting trampled and really could not stand up for more than a fraction of a second. I know it would have had a hard life.
I have read lots about how to cull. It seems the most efficient way is to break its neck, I just could not bring myself to break this little chicks body in any way. I hope it did not suffer, I drowned it. Such a wimpy thing to do. I suck.
But this little creature that came into existence because of me, will not suffer any more... because of me....

Wow I hate this part of raising chickens.

Sorry for your loss, you did what you thought was best. I've culled chicks before for less reasons and it's not easy. For future reference, if you have another chick with the same problem, it's usually a vitamin deficiency. One drop of poultry nutri drench orally on the side of the beak twice a day for 5 days may help. Nutri drench is loaded with vitamins and minerals. I also would recommend vitamin B complex tablets, crushed into powder and sprinkled on top of the feed in addition to the nutri drench. I wish you the best.

 

[Christie Rhae]

Sorry for your loss, you did what you thought was best. I've culled chicks before for less reasons and it's not easy. For future reference, if you have another chick with the same problem, it's usually a vitamin deficiency. One drop of poultry nutri drench orally on the side of the beak twice a day for 5 days may help. Nutri drench is loaded with vitamins and minerals. I also would recommend vitamin B complex tablets, crushed into powder and sprinkled on top of the feed in addition to the nutri drench. I wish you the best.

Thank you,
Nutri Drench... I will search for that online to have on hand.
I did try the Save-a-chick powder in the water.

 

[Christie Rhae]

I found nutria drench and ordered it. I plan to hatch a lot of chicks in the future so I want to have a little emergency kit ready for any problems that might arise. Do you have any other suggestions?

 

[California_chickie]

You did the right thing. I am so sorry for your loss. There are lots of different threads regarding "humane" euthanasia, yet I still have a hard time performing the act. I commend you for your bravery, and I hope you can enjoy your other chicks- I promise, you were a good chickie mama, and it will get better!

 

[welasharon]

I just had to put a very mean rooster down. I tried the broomstick method and managed to screw it up and...I won't go into the horror but I will say that from now on I will chop the head off quickly. It was my first as well. Yes, I agree with you...this is the not so great part.

 

[Christie Rhae]

I just want to thank Dawg53 for the nutri drench tip. I ordered it and keep it in my chicken "kit" now.

Recently I have used it twice. I had a chick I hatched that was a couple days old and was fine one day but the next morning it seemed like the little guy could not stand up. It would walk around by pushing itself along. If the chick flipped over it could not right itself. I picked it up and nothing seemed broken. I gave it a couple drops of Nutri Drench with a dropper and within two minutes it was standing up and walking fine and now I cannot tell which chick it was. Amazing.

I had another chick that came in a box of shipped chicks. It seemed very weak and was just standing still while the others ran around and it was getting trampled. I gave it nutri drench and now I cannot tell it apart from the others. I did also put nutri drench in the water for the shipped chicks. I am gonna order more!

 

[hannahwren]

I need a chick kit! Would love a list of stuff to keep on hand for babies and for the Mammas an Papas too!