My 8 week old chicken can't stand up!!

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Guychelle

Guychelle

Hatching
Sep 19, 2015
3
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Hi there
I have an 8 week old chick who is unable to stand up. I let my 6 chicks out of the coop into the run and went back a couple of hours later. He (I think) was lying on his side panting. I picked him up and took him inside. I treated him for shock- giving him electrolytes and putting him into the cat carrier with the bathroom heater on as he was shivering. He also had diarrhoea. I didn't expect him to last the night. However when I got up this morning he was lying on his side but quite alert. He is eating and drinking on his own and there is no diarrhoea. But he can't stand up or walk. If I stand him up he balances against the side of the carrier but as soon as he tries to move he falls over and ends up on his side. It seems to be one of his legs is swollen at the knee. I have given him pain relief. Is there anything else I could do? I hate seeing him just lying there!!
 
Welcome to BYC. Sorry about your chick. Has he ever had any other problem with his legs looking funny or one sticking out or behind him? If his hock joint is swollen, it could be from an injury, from a tendon rupturing or slipping, or a joint infection. I would cage him close to his food and water, or you could even try a chicken sling or chair to get him upright to reach food. I would put poultry vitamins in his water, and make sure that he is taking plenty of feed and water. A little bit of egg or tuna may be good. Keep him warm inside or place a heat lamp near him. Some leg bone deformities can cause a blowout of the hock tendon as the chick grows. He also could have suffered a slipped tendon or a sprain. Make sure that he rests the leg for at least a week or maybe several.
 
Thanks very much. I will try a sling and will start giving him vitamins. Unfortunately we have no vets locally who are experts with chickens! I guess time will tell.
 
Here are some pics of chick chairs and slings that people have made.

6612_chick_chair.jpg
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59765_pp.jpg
47386_dixie_slung_09-19-2010_2.jpg
 
Thanks for these. I have made a sling but am wondering how long he should be in the sling at a time. Should it be the whole time? or periods of time. He was quite happy for about an hour then he started flapping around and getting quite unsettled.
Any advice is appreciated. Thanks
 
Some chickens tolerate it well, and some don't. A lot of it depends on how disabled the chick is. Some put a strap over the back to keep them in. I would take him out as often as possible to move his legs or let him lie down some. He may like it better after a day or so. If he gets upset and fights it, I would take him out of it. It is mainly to get him up and keep him from soiling himself, but you don't want to make him miserable. Keep us posted.
 
Guychelle said:
Thanks for these. I have made a sling but am wondering how long he should be in the sling at a time. Should it be the whole time? or periods of time. He was quite happy for about an hour then he started flapping around and getting quite unsettled.
Any advice is appreciated. Thanks
Click to expand...
I had a chick in a chair sling this past fall. It did it's job and the chick recovered. But I found she did much better if I took her out every couple of hours and rubbed her down. They are not able to scratch themselves, and just like being in a cast can get really uncomfortable. The other thing to keep in mind is that being in suck a sling or chair they need to be repositioned to avoid bed sores. If they have pressure on the same parts of their bodies for extended periods of time, pain and sores will develop. That may be why he was fine when you first put him in and then after an hour began to fight it.

Can you post a pic of the leg?
 

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