My Baby Chick cant walk what do I do?

[jaburke]

One of my Baby chicks cant walk. He eats and drinks but cant walk. It like his legs are week. He is one day old. How can I help him?

 

[Cranman]

If his legs are way off to the side search here for what I think is called spraddle or splayed legs. Looks like a neat trick using band aids to make a brace.

 

[GreenGoddess]

As long as he is eating and drinking, give him some time to get his land legs..

Goddess

 

[jaburke]

Thank you the repleys. How do you make a splint out of bandaids?

 

[gryeyes]

Sometimes newly hatched chicks don't have all their motor controls working and it might take a day or two to get it together. I was worried about one of mine yesterday, which I kept turning over because it was always ending up on its back. Today, it is standing upright. I left it in the incubator to "finish" there, instead of introducing it to a brooder just yet, with all the extra room, stimulation, etc.

 

[Baralak]

Yes.. I have had some babies not be able to walk for a while.. they just like to lay up under the heat lamp, or in the bator. By day 2 they have their way.. If you have any Poly-Vi-Sol WITH OUT iron, it wouldn't hurt to give it a drop or two.

 

[ZooMummzy]

Quote:
Same here except I didn't give the poly-vi-sol. I aspirated a day old chick once by doing it so I never will again unless absolutely necessary. They are just so tiny and so hard to get the drops in the right place - for me at least. I had three chicks from this last hatch not walk till the second day. It was scary and I was literally up every couple hours that night checking on them, but all of a sudden they were up and running and haven't stopped since. The first two I put hobbles on because they did have splayed legs. I was able to take them off within 6 hours - legs fixed. Be sure to check often since they grow fast and you don't want to just leave them on them for days.

Here is a photo of the one I made. I use the pad in the center as a guide as to far apart to keep the legs. It always works. This was a Serama chick so I used a smaller bandaid. For my other bantam chick, the next size up.

Good luck!

 

[jaburke]

omgosh! Thankyou. I did it and it works. I dont have any vit. and we are in a blizzard now but I will get some as soon as I can. He didnt know what to think about be doing that to him or her.

 

[TarHeelBlue]

WOW thanks guys. I haven't had this problem, but this is such a good thing to know about. I just hatched out my first chicks, and one took longer to get his land legs! Really made me nervous, but I figured that he had such a hard time getting out of his little egg, he must be worn out. Now he is up and running around, eating and drinking. YEAH!

 

[ZooMummzy]

Quote:
the good thing about doing it on ones this young is they really can't fight you! Lol I had to do this to a week old chick...wow, was it hard!