Need help with 2 week old..

Hello! I am new to BYC but really hope someone has some advice for me on my little 2 week old chick. I've heard a lot of "Cull her." and right now that's just not an option. She has a definate will to live so I won't take that away from her. She hatched a day early and didn't get a chance to suck up the last of the sack before she hatched. (I don't know if this is relevant or not..) She was fine and acted like a normal chick until she was about a week old, then she just crashed. At first she didn't want to open her eyes for anything, she just wanted to sleep. I discovered she was bone thin so probably hadn't been eating like I thought she had and that was what caused her to go down. It also (according to my reading online) caused Spraddle leg. I've got her legs rigged together with vet wrap like I read, but it just doesn't seem to be working. I've been syringe feeding her chick starter and her water, sometimes applesauce mixed in as well as she seems to get constipated but she won't eat the chick food on her own, although she will drink herself when I put her to water. (I have added electrolytes to it.) My biggest concern is her little legs and how to get them working if possible. I have been giving her "physical therapy" multiple times a day by holding her and letting her push around with her legs but she doesn't seem to have any control over where they go. (She can move them and pushes herself from side to side when she is laying in her box.) She has figured out a little better way to help balance herself with her beak as well. The bottom of the box where she sits is covered in vet wrap so it isn't slippery. I've covered most of what I can think of, but if someone recognizes something I've been doing that may be the wrong thing to do or has suggestions PLEASE share with me!

Hi!

You can make a support cradle to hold her legs - Chickenzoo had a wonderful diagram of a box like structure - basically it is a cradle with two holes for the legs and one hole behind to allow the chicken to poop - you can use material stretched across the structure that you put the holes into - make sure that the chick cannot rest it's feet against the floor - you will need to supervise feed and watering but the feet will be suspended - I make simple hobbles by using two soft elasticated hairbands tied together to keep the feet in the correct position - see picture attached of "Freddie" a gosling who is now in perfect foot health - it is very important to massage the legs for the circulation -

I wish you and your chick luck - you are one very determined person!

Suzie

Thank you so much for the reply! What is the purpose of suspending the feet? I figured having her "practice" walking would re-teach her how to use them and build strength??? We've had chicks and chickens for years now but this is my first hatching so I'm inexperienced in the issues we're having. I've got her little feet similar to the little guy you have pictured but with vet wrap. Any help is appreciated! I will look into the box you were referring to. I was actually trying to figure out how to make something today like that. Thank you thank you!

I feed my sick chickens eggs and things like yogurt and watermellon. I had one baby chick that had one leg suspended in air and could only walk or hop on one leg. We named him "Hoppy" He was as sweet as could be and grew stronger and stronger everyday!!! He started to use his wings to get around more too.

https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry

You might also try vitamins if you think the baby's nutritional status contributed to the spraddle leg: (here are some things that can happen if certain deficiencies are there)

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/6/diseases-of-poultry/220/slipped-tendon-perosis
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/6/diseases-of-poultry/217/vitamin-b2-deficiency

If you don't like artificial vitamins, scrambled eggs have every vitamin except vitamin c and are the food chicks eat when growing in the shell.

The first vitamin link was to perosis and the second one is curly toe paralysis. Since I don't know what caused the spraddle leg and can't see the chick, I am including the links while not knowing if they will be helpful or not.

There is amazing information contained in the above post from ChickensAreSweet - the reasons for using a chair are fully described on the poultrypedia link - it also mentions that feet should not touch the floor, again good luck and keep us posted on your progress!

Suzie