2 day old chick with weak foot or leg, possibly not eating

[Airyaman]

This was my last chick to hatch and one that had assistance from me to hatch (pipped and got about 1/4 the way after 15-16 hours, had not moved on egg for 14 of those). It had membrane (clear and colorless) stuck to it for a few hours that I had not seen when he came out kept him somewhat immobile and head bent in hatch position. I thought he just had wry neck so I got stuff to treat that.

Long story short I did remove the membrane and it almost immediately moved it's neck straight. But it's had issues with walking ever since.

It waddles right now because it appears that either its left leg or foot is weak. It's not sticking out to its side so I've ruled out splay leg. But sometimes its foot is laid flat like normal and other times it's kinda rolled over.

He's also not eating as best as I can tell yet. His hatch mates took to crumble almost immediately and I've not really seen him eat anything yet.

He is still active and doesn't appear to be weak. I give him a taste or two of Nutri Drench and make sure he drinks some water.

I also soaked some crumble and fluffed it up and put his beak into it. Nothing. I held him in place in front of it for a time and he pecked some but I never saw pecking and eating.

Thoughts?

 

[Eggcessive]

I like Poultry Cell 2-3 drops daily or human super b complex 1/4 tablet daily crushed for leg and foot issues, since those have riboflavin. Can you post any pictures of the chicken and legs? Make some mushy chick crumbles and water into a mash. Cooked egg yolk mixed with a little water is good too.

 

[Airyaman]

I like Poultry Cell 2-3 drops daily or human super b complex 1/4 tablet daily crushed for leg and foot issues, since those have riboflavin. Can you post any pictures of the chicken and legs? Make some mushy chick crumbles and water into a mash. Cooked egg yolk mixed with a little water is good too.

Saw another thread where a chick had leg issues because it had not pooped yet. I can't say if this chick has, one thing I left of is I cleaned some white disk shaped thing last night from the backside. I treated it as if it was pasty butt but I don't think it was.

Anyways, something I noticed last night but didn't think much about was a popping sound. I thought the chick was making the sound through it's mouth but it's the abdomen. When I tried to stimulate it to poop (nothing happened) I notice that sometimes if I pressed on the belly it made a popping sound.

 

[Eggcessive]

It may have been the umbilicus or navel. Can you find the vent under the tail?

 

[Airyaman]

It may have been the umbilicus or navel. Can you find the vent under the tail?

Yes.

 

[Airyaman]

Feet photos. I am not able to get any right now of the rolled foot look because it really only happens as it tries to walk. It will basically just be rolled over.

While I was holding it I decided to try holding the moistened crumble in front of it. It pecked and ate a little, but not much. It would suck water off of my finger so it got plenty of water and not sure how much food.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would give the Poultry Cell or riboflavin in the b complex.

 

[Airyaman]

Chick is moving around better this morning but still weak on the left (it will move then stumble over). It was moving before but more of a scoot, now it's almost walking like the rest albeit more awkwardly.

Now I think it has another issue that may be contributing to its clumsiness: I think it is blind. Ugh!

It does not react to me reaching for it like the other chicks do and it tends to walk in circles. I have constantly put its beak in the water and it still doesn't seem to know where it is. When it stumbles up against the water it does figure it out somewhat so it is drinking on its own. Still not eating like the rest but it may be because it doesn't know where the food is.

 

[Airyaman]

So I purchased this because it's already in liquid form and "sublingual fast acting liquid":

Any clue how much to try to give chick?

1 ml contains 1.7 mg (131%) of riboflavin

 

[Airyaman]

Chick is very feisty, but doesn't move as well as the others. It stays under the brooder plate all the time and does not come out with the others to eat.

When I remove the plate it moves around. It's fast, mind you, but more in a panicky type motion than the normal hop along style of chicks. It actually tries to use its wings every time it moves.

And I've not been successful in getting it to do much more than drink. Crumble mash, fried and minced egg yolk, raw egg yolk, it just won't eat it. I stick its beak into anything solid, it does nothing. I put it in front of the crumble, nothing.

If I put water on my finger and put it in front of its face, it will suck it right off. It will drink water from the waterer. But it won't eat.

I kind of force fed it some raw egg yolk earlier along with a drop or two of Nutri Drench and B-complex. Not by dropper or syringe but by sticking it's beak into a spoonful of yolk. I never saw it pooping before but right after that when I put it back in the brooder, it shot out a stream of mostly liquid with a little bit of white solids.