3 day old chick sitting on hocks

[pntdhorses]

I have a 3 day old Polish chick that I first thought had splayed legs so braced. But it just keeps sitting on its hocks. Any other time I’ve had a baby with splayed legs, after bracing the usually show marked improvement. This one is not. I just started dipping its beak in some poultry cell and egg yolk. It doesn’t seem to want to eat on its own either. Do you think this is a niacin deficiency? I took the leg brace off. Should I also keep it on?

 

[Debbie292d]

It's most likely got leg joint issues and might need a different type of treatment than for splayed legs. I caught one like this the day it dried in the incubator and was in the brooder. I turned the heat down to 90F in the incubator and put it back in. It slept the better part of an entire day, and ended up fine. A second one I had similar didn't fair so well. I stuck it butt end first into a tube I had that just fit. I stood him up in the incubator set for the same, and this one slept about 12 hours. I took him out to get food/water, and he was better but not perfect, so stuck him back in overnight That did it!

I also gave each a few drops of Nutra-Drench directly to the side of their beak, but you could just put that in their water too.


Here's an article to other ways of fixing that. Scroll down to chick chair. This was sort of on the same principle of the tube I used. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...and-caring-for-the-special-needs-chick.72163/

 

[pntdhorses]

It's most likely got leg joint issues and might need a different type of treatment than for splayed legs. I caught one like this the day it dried in the incubator and was in the brooder. I turned the heat down to 90F in the incubator and put it back in. It slept the better part of an entire day, and ended up fine. A second one I had similar didn't fair so well. I stuck it butt end first into a tube I had that just fit. I stood him up in the incubator set for the same, and this one slept about 12 hours. I took him out to get food/water, and he was better but not perfect, so stuck him back in overnight That did it!

I also gave each a few drops of Nutra-Drench directly to the side of their beak, but you could just put that in their water too.


Here's an article to other ways of fixing that. Scroll down to chick chair. This was sort of on the same principle of the tube I used. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...and-caring-for-the-special-needs-chick.72163/

Thanks! I did do the chick chair and I wrapped both of his legs with double vet wrap to make little stints to keep his legs straight. Will keep
it in that for a few days and hopefully it will solve the problem. The other 6 that hatched are perfectly fine. It seems like every time I do a hatch, I always get one or two out of the bunch that have problems. It’s so frustrating and sad.

 

[Debbie292d]

Thanks! I did do the chick chair and I wrapped both of his legs with double vet wrap to make little stints to keep his legs straight. Will keep
it in that for a few days and hopefully it will solve the problem. The other 6 that hatched are perfectly fine. It seems like every time I do a hatch, I always get one or two out of the bunch that have problems. It’s so frustrating and sad.

It can be caused by too many fluctuations in heat/humidity while incubating, assisting with hatching, or genetics. Sometimes it can just be the luck of the draw, and no real reason.