baby chick stumbling

[chattchick]

I have a 5 week old baby chicken who was doing well but today I noticed it stumbles once in a while. When it gets up to walk, the baby chick will stumble backwards or sideways some times. It baby's the right leg. My daughter noticed that while it was eating today it was laying down and it's right leg was crossed over it's left leg!! It does get up to walk around at times and see what the other chicks are doing. It does eat and drink and the two other chicks aren't pecking at it. Could this baby chick have a minor leg injury or something more?

 

[chattchick]

Now the baby chick's back-end (not sure exactly what its called in chicken language) is down. The feathers on the back end of the chicken are always down. I tried the band-aid cure thinking it was splay leg but I don't think that was it since it doesn't want to get up all the way now!! I have been giving it vitamin water but that doesn't look like it's doing anything.
If anyone, someone has any idea what to look for or what could be wrong it would be greatly appreciated for this new bird owner!!

 

[Eggcessive]

I was going to suggest PolyVisol baby vitamins, but see that you have them on vitamin water. Make sure they are getting some vitamin E--they sell it everywhere, and there is water soluble that can go in water. Maraks disease can affect the legs at that age, but I hop it's not that. Here is a link for leg problems: https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry

 

[chattchick]

Thank you. I placed the baby chick separately from the other 2 chicks I have. It tries to get up and walk around and is still capable of walking to it's food and water. It has been eating and drinking (electrolyte water). It chirps a lot but I think it is looking for the others because when I walk over there it quiets down! We will see what happens. Sad that it has something at 5-6 weeks old when it seemed to be doing well.

 

[Eggcessive]

Do you think that the chick would be happier back in with the others?There shouldn't be anything contagious going on that the others haven't been exposed to already (Mareks is the only thing I would think could be contagious.) If the others are hurting or stepping on the chick, just a little homemade screen to divide the brooder in two would be good. Chicks are very social and get lonely. Good luck to you.

 

[chattchick]

Thanks. I didn't think of putting it back with the others. I have the other two (they are 5 1/2 weeks old) in the chicken coop for the first time overnight tonight (temps usually around 70). I could put this one in the coop as well! I went and got vitamin B for it in the hopes it just has a deficiency not Marek's. I am new to owning chickens although I have incubated eggs before for my school. This is the first time I have seen issue's like this. I am starting to think these came from a bad gene pool.