1 day old chick cant balance, doesnt eat and has other problems

[Yoohis]

First heres the link to my other thread in incubating and hatching eggs :
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ng-after-assisted-hatch.1530734/post-25808454

My chick has had balance issues so i put her in a sock, also has curled toes + splayed legs so im trying to fix all of them. She doesnt eat or drink and only does when forced to and seems just unwell, ive given her sugar water and a little bit of watered down chick feed that shes eaten a little of. While in her cup she makes random swallowing motions and her head keeps leaning and shaking around, she also rarely opens her eyes and when she does its often just her right eye. I'm not sure what to do and i would be greatful if someone could help me.

 

[coach723]

You can try giving some watered raw egg yolk also. If you can get some b complex tablets (human ones), grind 1/4 of one and mix in the sugar water or yolk and give that as well. I think you are doing everything you can. Some chicks just don't thrive, and assisted hatch chicks often have the most problems. There may be problems internally that you can't see. All you can do is give supportive care and time, and see what happens. Best of luck with your chick.

 

[Yoohis]

You can try giving some watered raw egg yolk also. If you can get some b complex tablets (human ones), grind 1/4 of one and mix in the sugar water or yolk and give that as well. I think you are doing everything you can. Some chicks just don't thrive, and assisted hatch chicks often have the most problems. There may be problems internally that you can't see. All you can do is give supportive care and time, and see what happens. Best of luck with your chick.

Hey thanks for your reply, the chick is slightly better now and the balance is a lot better and curled foot has been cured! She still has splayed legs so doesnt walk well and isnt eating but she is better. There has been another problem though, she hasnt been sleeping. Can chicks sleep with sounds around them? She has also been defecating and its been green/yellow watery with some black fecal matter, does this sound like normal chick poop? Thanks

 

[coach723]

Chicks tend to sleep in fits and starts, they can be like all animal babies, sudden nap, then sudden energy, then sudden nap. They tend to run around a lot. If they are in the dark at night they will sleep then, you may still hear some quiet peeps as they find each other in the dark. Loud peeping or constant loud peeping is usually a sign of distress. If you have a heat lamp providing light, they will continue to be active all night.
The poops may be runny from the sugar water, I would just keep an eye on that and make sure the chick is warm enough, watch for pasty butt which can happen if they are too warm or too cold. Usually chicks are good for 3 days on the yolk they absorbed at hatch, so give it plenty of chances to eat and drink, but it still has time to figure it out. You can treat the splayed legs with hobbles. Make sure it's not on a slippery surface.
More info on foot and leg issues here and treatments:
https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry

 

[Yoohis]

Chicks tend to sleep in fits and starts, they can be like all animal babies, sudden nap, then sudden energy, then sudden nap. They tend to run around a lot. If they are in the dark at night they will sleep then, you may still hear some quiet peeps as they find each other in the dark. Loud peeping or constant loud peeping is usually a sign of distress. If you have a heat lamp providing light, they will continue to be active all night.
The poops may be runny from the sugar water, I would just keep an eye on that and make sure the chick is warm enough, watch for pasty butt which can happen if they are too warm or too cold. Usually chicks are good for 3 days on the yolk they absorbed at hatch, so give it plenty of chances to eat and drink, but it still has time to figure it out. You can treat the splayed legs with hobbles. Make sure it's not on a slippery surface.
More info on foot and leg issues here and treatments:
https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry

Yeah im treating the splayed legs and shes on paper towels at the moment, currently shes in the incubator still since i dont think she'll be okay under a heat pad regarding her mobility, the incubator is a bit loud so i thought that was the problem. I dont have any lights on so i was wondering if chicks chirp while sleeping? She does some quiet chrips and some moderate chirps while the lights are off.

 

[coach723]

Quiet chirping is pretty normal. It's probably looking for other chicks. They don't really like to be alone, it can be stressful for them. As soon as it's safe it may be helpful to put it with the others. It may calm down and sometimes it gives them more encouragement to try harder to live. In some cases with a weak chick I will carry them in a neckerchief around my neck (like a tiny hammock) so they are resting against my upper chest. They can feel you, feel your warmth, hear you (I talk to them and hum) and it seems to calm them, they don't feel so alone.

 

[Yoohis]

Quiet chirping is pretty normal. It's probably looking for other chicks. They don't really like to be alone, it can be stressful for them. As soon as it's safe it may be helpful to put it with the others. It may calm down and sometimes it gives them more encouragement to try harder to live. In some cases with a weak chick I will carry them in a neckerchief around my neck (like a tiny hammock) so they are resting against my upper chest. They can feel you, feel your warmth, hear you (I talk to them and hum) and it seems to calm them, they don't feel so alone.

Yeah i understand the importance of her being with other chicks, sadly she was the only one that hatched out of many because the post shook all the eggs really hard. I'm planing on getting some more chicks soon so im just playing chick chirping sounds from youtube. Since she is an assisted hatch, when would you say she hatched? When i helped her get out and removed the umbilical cord? I helped her out on around friday the 3rd 1pm australian time, so would you say she has enough yolk to last around the 6th? Currently its been around 36 hours since shes hatched. Thanks

 

[coach723]

So sorry about your hatch! Hopefully you can find some like aged chicks to add. I would say that it should be OK til the 6th, just encourage it to eat and drink, give it plenty of opportunities. You can also try giving it a small mirror, so it can see 'the other' chick, may help with the lonliness. Or a small stuffed animal to snuggle with, make sure there is nothing that can be pecked off and swallowed.

 

[Yoohis]

So sorry about your hatch! Hopefully you can find some like aged chicks to add. I would say that it should be OK til the 6th, just encourage it to eat and drink, give it plenty of opportunities. You can also try giving it a small mirror, so it can see 'the other' chick, may help with the lonliness. Or a small stuffed animal to snuggle with, make sure there is nothing that can be pecked off and swallowed.

Thanks a lot for your help btw coach723, what would be the best way to encourage it to eat? tapping at the food and for water dipping its beak? I havent put any food in where she is because she falls over easily, so ive been picking her up and putting food and water near her. She doesnt eat by voluntarily, only when i put her beak in the water/food mixture.

 

[coach723]

You can try spilling a bit of the food around the dish on the paper towel. Their natural instinct is to peck and scratch on the ground. Then they learn that the dish is full of food and will go there for it. You can also use your finger tip to kind of scratch in the food, like they would do with their feet. It has no others to copy and mimic, or a mom to show it what to do, so you may need to.