5 week old chick unsteady on her feet

[jrchuba]

I have 18 Bantum Ameriucana chicks. All chicks are in brooders in my son's room. All are well but questioning one which I think is a hen but may be a rooster, sorry not sure yet. She is having a bit of trouble walking, she walks a few steps then leans forward a little and lays down. She is eating and drinking fine and her poops are normal. She was egg hatch 16 out of 18 and I never noticed a problem with her until yesterday. Although she is the only one that doesn't perch in the brooder or try to fly out, but she is very vocal. She is not fat and she is definitly not loosing weight, but she can only walk a few steps and drops as if she can't support herself. She does not stand to eat she squats then lays and eats. and even in my hand she just lays down. Maybe I have missed this in her right from the beginning I am not sure, but I am worried about her. She is one I have chosen to keep. I have researched and googled and am waiting to hear from my son who put a call in for Dr. Hall (poultry expert) at Clemson University. Also her right leg is a little bit shorter than her left leg, and that is with her sitting directly in the middle of the palm of my hand with a finger inbetween her legs. She does not draw up her toes at all but when she walks they tend to try and crowd together.

Could she have been injured by the other chicks in the brooder she is in?
Could it possibly be Mareks.......My son's chickens came from the aviary at CU and have been tested for everything?
Could it be a delayed splayed leg type of thing?
Could it be a vitamin deficiency...as in vitamin D, or B maybe?

I need help here, I love this chicken, she is so beautiful and so sweet. Any information, any ideas ideas are greatly appreciated.
p.s. they have been on non-medicated starter food and as of today are on medicated starter food. Please help if you can.

Thanks so much,
Janice

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Here is a link to all the vitamin deficiency entries in Merck if interested:

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/toc_206900.htm

There is a lot of dust generated by chicks- you might get them out of the bedroom for lung health??

Also here is a poultry podiatry page in case you need it:

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

Sorry I can't be of more assistance.

 

[welasharon]

Go ahead and give it some baby liquid vitamins ( I just gave one drop daily) just in case it is a vitamin deficiency. Medicated chick starter can inhibit the B vitamins. It surely won't hurt. Just make sure to get poly vi sol without iron. I just put one drop in the beak each day.

 

[jrchuba]

Thank you so much! My poultry son and I are building them a temporary pen tomorrow as to which they will be in till the end of August which is when his 4 chickens will go back to the aviary at Clemson University.

I am in checking out the pod. site right now, very informative!

Thanks again
Janice

 

[jrchuba]

There was still some non medicated starter food left tonight, so all they have had still is non medicated starter. I will get the vit's in the morning and give them to her, one drop a day. I will call my vet in the am to get an appt. Good thing is the vit's can't hurt and hopefully they will help.

Thanks so much,
Janice

 

[jrchuba]

Good news, I have a diagnosis that I figured out myself. Not to worry though I have talked to my vet in Duncan and sent her pictures. He (his p-comb is more red today) has curled toe. On is right foot the outside toe curls out and he makes a fist with his whole left foot. Good news is I can more than likely fix this with B12 and shoes, as to which I am making right now with cardboard. I know he won't like the shoes, but he will have to deal with it and be watched so he won't fall head first into the waterer.

They are all now outside in their new pen that my AVS son and his friend built today. Although "Alita" who is now "Alono" will be inside at night, and probably only go out in the pen with his nugget bros and sisses with supervision during the day. Right now they aren't picking on him but once he has his shoes on I am thinking they probably will.

My kids are laughing at me because out of 8 ducks left, the one that is specifically mine is pigeon toed and steps all over her feet, not to worry though she gets along just fine with no issues. And now go figure the chick I pick has a handicap....I love all these little nuggets but have to many boys so need to find homes.

Thanks so much for all your advice and infor for specific sites to look at.


Janice

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Good news, I have a diagnosis that I figured out myself. Not to worry though I have talked to my vet in Duncan and sent her pictures. He (his p-comb is more red today) has curled toe. On is right foot the outside toe curls out and he makes a fist with his whole left foot. Good news is I can more than likely fix this with B12 and shoes, as to which I am making right now with cardboard. I know he won't like the shoes, but he will have to deal with it and be watched so he won't fall head first into the waterer. They are all now outside in their new pen that my AVS son and his friend built today. Although "Alita" who is now "Alono" will be inside at night, and probably only go out in the pen with his nugget bros and sisses with supervision during the day. Right now they aren't picking on him but once he has his shoes on I am thinking they probably will. My kids are laughing at me because out of 8 ducks left, the one that is specifically mine is pigeon toed and steps all over her feet, not to worry though she gets along just fine with no issues. And now go figure the chick I pick has a handicap....I love all these little nuggets but have to many boys so need to find homes. Thanks so much for all your advice and infor for specific sites to look at. Janice

Curly toe paralysis is riboflavin deficiency, not B12 according to what I have read. I'm not an expert though.
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/206930.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riboflavin

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/6/diseases-of-poultry/217/vitamin-b2-deficiency
here's a pic


http://web.uconn.edu/poultry/poultrypages/diseasefactsheet.html
treatment recommendation is on this page

 

[jrchuba]

Thank you so much..

 

[jrchuba]

My vet said B12 is fine to give, it has the necessary amount of Roboflavin. B2 is Riboflavin but I haven't found it specifically by itself yet. I am giving him Poly Vi Sol now. He is almost 6 weeks old now, and I don't know if the Poly Vi Sol will be enough but he seems a little happier and is now perching in the brooder. All the chick were put in their new pen outside yesterday (they hate it, they want back in) but we brought him in for the night. He is a very loving boy, and I am not giving up. Tried to make shoes for him but they didn't work out well, he looked like my pigeon toed duck I have and was just stepping and falling all over the place so I took them off. My son (AVS student) are working on a specific shoe that is not cumbersom that will help the toes stay straight individually and will enable him tobe able to walk and function somewhat normal. Humm....maybe something we can help other chicks with the same problem of varying ages.