1-2 week old chick lethargic, walking backwards, wings drooping

[mikic]

She is one of 24 that we received this Wednesday morning from Meyer Hatchery. Their hatch date was 3/18, but several of the chicks already had some wing feathers coming in (including her) so we suspect she is between 1 and 2 weeks old. They were all vaccinated for Marek's.
She was acting mostly normal (eating/drinking) until yesterday except that she seemed to strain a little when pooping. We think she is the Cuckoo Maran, and we kiddingly thought her somewhat strange behavior was a little "cuckoo." Then she stopped eating or drinking, stands in a daze for hours with her wings drooping (lethargic). She had a little pasty butt, so I cleaned her up, then started pooping clear mucus yesterday so I wondered if she might have some blockage. She did not lay down to nap with all the others at all yesterday, but she did lay down finally last night.

I've been giving her nutrient/electrolytes with a dropper; I tried an egg yolk but she showed little interest, though these efforts do seem to perk her up a bit. Today she started going to the waterer on her own and has started eating a little, but when she tries to swallow she shakes her head and then takes several steps backwards until she falls of the feeding platform. This afternoon she passed what looks like a worm in her stool, but maybe she's shedding her intestinal lining? I've only read about this so I'm looking for help diagnosing her condition and, of course, what can be done to help her.

I've read that walking backwards is a neurological condition, that Vitamin E and selenium supplements can help. But I don't know dosage for such a small chick or how to administer. Any recommendations are appreciated.

 

[azygous]

The nutrients and electrolytes you've been giving have likely helped her. Is there any sugar/glucose in that mix? I would give her a teaspoon of sugar mixed into one cup of water with those nutrients and have her drink that.

Yes, start her on vitamin E. If you can hard boil an egg and minced it very fine, spread it on a flat surface so her instinct to pick up food particles kicks in, the yolk will supply the selenium she needs. To get the E into her open the capsule and pry open her beak and squeeze a drop onto the right corner of her beak several times a day. She will slurp it in.

 

[307ChickenGuy]

I had an Ameraucana that did the same thing, tried egg yolk and sugar water with no avail. Medicated feed, Apple cider vinegar in water along with electrolyte water. She was fine one minute and then she got worse. After 2 days she wasn't trying to stay alive and I ended up culling her.

 

[realsis]

I have one now displaying wry neck symptoms. That's the vitamins deficiency. They can walk backward flip flop summersault end up upside down. I found it calmed mine to separate her like in a kitty carrier then inside that put a small box. She can not flop and flip .today she actually got out of her box and was able to eat and drink herself! That's a improvement because I've been giving the food and water. I make her food into a mash and hide her vitamins inside. She still has a ways to go but I know this takes extreme patience. My last bird with wry neck took a bit over a month. So don't loose hope. It takes a bit but she will get there.

 

[Molly77]

Just to add to the knowledge base on this thread for people looking for answers like I was. I got chicks through the mail from a hatchery and they were too long in transit and all died but one. Someone suggested putting electrolytes, tiny bit of molasses and tiny bit of plain yogurt in her water and that seemed to turn it around pretty fast. They are incubator born orphans and have no microflora. She had a lot of pasty butt at first, then she seemed to get blocked up inside--she didn't poop for about 6 hours and looked like she was straining and quickly weakening. Nothing visible from the outside. I got my finger under her body in the brooder and stroked her abdomen toward her butt for about 30 min really gently and poop started coming. She's doing fine now. I think perhaps just like all babies, their digestive system doesn't really know what to do yet and encouraging peristalsis helps, like for puppies and kittens.

Now she poops great, but she often shuffles backward a couple of steps before poop flies out. It might be trying to poop and failing.