Baby chick can't stand up! Advice needed please.

[Sorin]

I have a 4 day old Cochin that won't/can't stand up. She is eating, but only when we hand feed her as she can't stand up to eat out of the feeder, same with drinking. She is relatively alert, does sleep more than the others, but the only time she moves is when another chick might step on her she will shuffle on her belly to move. We have her separated for now. The first day I had her (yesterday) I gave her a little polyvisol and very weak sugar water for a boost. I at first wrapped her legs for spraddle leg but I'm not sure that's what's wrong. Is it possible she is still just very weak

I extended her legs a couple of times in case it was the tendons in her legs but they seem fine.
The first pic is of the poor little thing laying, she lays with her feet under her and her wings spread out for balance. The second one is of her legs and feet. Even when I hold her up suspended so her legs will swing down, she holds them close to her body. Any advice from you chicken medical experts will be appreciated

I will be online frequently in case anyone has questions, she keeps me busy with feeding and watering every hour. Thank you for your help!

 

[bburn]

I had a chick born like that this week. Different in that one of its feet was not right. The toe at the back was pushed competely the wrong direction. I did not even try and raise itself up. I posted a question about it...someone suggested splay/sprattle leg but that is not and was not what mine had.

I made the choice to cull. My reason that I can live with is that the other chicks would have soon started pecking it. That is really ugly. Another chick born today I thought had the same problem so was watching it closely. It took all day.....and me washing it's backside to clear it up and now it is running around the brooder.

I have no idea how you fix what your chick has. I searched and searched and could not find anything that would help me. I really hated to post this because Cochins have my heart. The entire reason I incubated and hatched this group and the group that I will be setting on Sunday....incubator will have as many LF cochin eggs as I can find.

Good luck to you and I hope you can find a way to fix this or to make a decision you can live with.

As I told my DGD, my chicken partner, you have to be able to make a decision that is right for the chick and one we can live with.

 

[Sorin]

bburn, thank you for your reply. Thats the one thing I forgot to mention, one toe on one foot is pointing upwards, Maybe this is a genetic defect and I will have to cull

I'm hoping someone else can help me but thank you so much for your kind words

 

[bburn]

Quote:
Exactly....amazed that it is the exact same! My SIL came up last night and took care of it for me. My DGD was torn up when I first told her that I was going to have to decide what to do. We talked about what would happen if we kept it and as it grew....what would the other chicks do to it....she knew and told me. She did not mention it again and we still have not talked about it. Just gone to both of us. Thankful that I did not have to do something myself!!!

Much luck....I hope someone comes in with an answer.