5 week old chick with tremors

[EmmaEsme]

What protein % is the grower feed? I would keep them on a chick starter (non medicated) or an all flock feed that contains 18-20% protein.

You can give the B-Complex for a while longer. B vitamins are water soluble and any "excess" would be excreted in the urine.

When you say "them", do you mean all the chicks or just her and her brother?

I feed Laucke Mills' products normally. (For whatever reason their chick products are hard to come by, hence Barrastoc.) They'd go onto Red Hen Pullet. It's 15% protein and recommended by manufacturer at six weeks to 18-20 weeks or POL.

My hens eat Red Hen 17 which is 17% protein... But it's my understanding that layer foods have too much calcium for growing cockerels and pullets.

 

[Eggcessive]

An all flock or chick starter closer to 20% protein would be best, and don’t give layer of course until they are close to laying age. If you cannot get a higher percent than 15 for the chicks, they can have a little tuna, egg, or ground meat in moderation as a treat. But they will also need grit for things other than chicken feed.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

An all flock or chick starter closer to 20% protein would be best, and don’t give layer of course until they are close to laying age. If you cannot get a higher percent than 15 for the chicks, they can have a little tuna, egg, or ground meat in moderation as a treat. But they will also need grit for things other than chicken feed.

^^This.
I would try to get as close to 20% as I could for all chicks at least until they come into lay.

 

[EmmaEsme]

Okay, thank you both for all the help. I'll see if I can find a food like that here, as no commercially available food I've seen goes over 17% protein. Strange, all the grower foods here are around 15-16%. Otherwise, I'll just supplement them as described. Cheers!

 

[EmmaEsme]

I wasn't able to find a food that high in protein, so they are all enjoying a tuna, scrambled egg and frozen pea mix.
Wondering, how often should I offer this? One or twice a week okay?

Also, behaviourally I'm concerned about introducing Velma back. She's gotten a little bigger, but still wobbles quite a bit. I remove her brother from the nest box every morning to mingle, but he mostly chooses to stay near her or hide under a lavender bush... She stresses and calls out to him often. I'm worried the stress is setting her back, but when he is in with her he just spills everything and makes a huge mess, because he's so big and active. I'm really just not sure what to do.

I *was* gonna do the above plan for a few weeks until she grows a bit and improves more. (I'm starting to wonder if she will ever not have some tremors though.) Then introduce her at the same time we cull the aggresive male Raven, which will throw off the flock hierarchy anyway and maybe help them integrate. Does that sound like a good or bad plan?

 

[Eggcessive]

I would be very slow at reintroducing her. It is probably good that he brother is keeping her company some. The high protein foods could be rotated every day or every other. Egg is usually well tolerated.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I had a rooster like that I got from Meyers.

He always bobbled his head.
He was very friendly...

I raised him up and he even had some daughters that are normal and not bobble-y,

I gave him to a nice family who had a little boy who loved roosters.

 

[EmmaEsme]

Just a quick update to say, thanks to your help, I think Velma is going to make a full recovery into a functional chook! She's at about 95% these days. Head bob is almost completely gone, often not noticeable at all. She still stumbles a little when she walks. She's growing, active and looking good. Definitely wants out of her quarantine, poor thing. Little longer though!

Thanks so much!

 

[Eggcessive]

So happy for you that she is better. Thank you for the update.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Just a quick update to say, thanks to your help, I think Velma is going to make a full recovery into a functional chook! She's at about 95% these days. Head bob is almost completely gone, often not noticeable at all. She still stumbles a little when she walks. She's growing, active and looking good. Definitely wants out of her quarantine, poor thing. Little longer though!

Thanks so much!

I'm glad to hear she's doing much better!
I hope she continues to improve. Thank you for the update