Back again with questions on sick chick-not doing better. Need help asap as chick is in distress.

[twowildgirls]

Hello everyone. I had connected earlier this week about our new baby chick that isn't doing so well. I initially thought respiratory issue as I thought I heard some clicking that seemed louder. Now I am second guessing my thought it might be respiratory.

Baby has non-stop been under distress, and has been chirping constantly-it is urgent chirps. Conditions in the brooder have been good. I am changing the toilet paper 3x+ a day, fresh water at all times which has probiotics and electrolytes. Brinsea brooder pad. They are on chick feed with chick grit mixed in. I have been using Nutri-drench. Followed chickenlandia's YouTube on sick chicks and made her sick chick "tea" and have added nutritional yeast and the Nutri-drench for vitamins. Tried using vet rx. Thought chick might be suffering from splay leg as she tips one leg out and has to balance with her wing. She seems lethargic or cannot keep herself upright for long so she ends up laying down or goes back to the brooder. Currently I am having to bring chick to the food and water frequently through the day. She does usually eat or drink when I do so, and sometimes goes on her own but overall just seems too weak to get herself there. Her poops go between seeming normal to possibly looking kind of bubbly. She only just started seeming like she has almost a head tick. No bugs/mites. Currently chick is isolated. I tried contacting my local avian/poultry vet and they aren't taking new clients.

So overview again of symptoms: weakness in legs-seems to be splay legged. Even with "splinting" she hops a little but isn't able to sustain standing. Chirping constantly (and I mean it is constant), too weak to get regular food or water without assistance. And her crop seems to be getting bigger and not emptying. I have attached pictures of it. The size is where I am gently holding on my fingers. Her feathers don't look at that-it is because of the olive oil to try to pass the food, and the "tea" that I have been giving her. I have been having to give her little baths and drying her off. I just did treatment so that is why she doesn't look clean as I tried gently massaging the mass down with the oil.

I really want this chick to survive. Her "siblings" are growing and thriving but she is just not growing at all and is essentially the same size as I got her last week. I am concerned about her, but my resources are limited as this is my first time raising chicks and I don't have a local vet available. I don't want her to suffer. Please help if you have any advice. Thank you!

 

[alinas2010]

Sorry to hear about your chick. She sure is a cutie. Is it possible she could be developing wry neck? You talk about a head tick, I wonder if you could get a video of that and her trying to walk. You’ll have to post it on YouTube, but then link it here. We can see what the educator think.

If she isn’t eating anything but chick feed, she won’t need grit. Mixing the grit into her food may cause issues if she intakes a lot without needing it. Does her crop feel like it’s full of grit? I would offer a dish of grit on the side if you’re feeding snacks other than chick feed, but if not, no grit.

 

[alinas2010]

Also, does she have any respiratory symptoms still?

 

[twowildgirls]

Sorry to hear about your chick. She sure is a cutie. Is it possible she could be developing wry neck? You talk about a head tick, I wonder if you could get a video of that and her trying to walk. You’ll have to post it on YouTube, but then link it here. We can see what the educator think.

If she isn’t eating anything but chick feed, she won’t need grit. Mixing the grit into her food may cause issues if she intakes a lot without needing it. Does her crop feel like it’s full of grit? I would offer a dish of grit on the side if you’re feeding snacks other than chick feed, but if not, no grit.

Hello,

Thank you so much for messaging. I am sorry too...she is really sweet, and I hate to see her like this. I don't think it is wry neck from what I have read, but of course I could be wrong as I initially thought respiratory issue as I saw her do something that looked like a gasp a few times and heard some clicking-neither of which I have heard/seen over the last 24 hours. Thank you for that suggestion. I have never uploaded on YouTube but I can try to figure it out. It looks like one leg is pointed normally and one splays out at a 3 or 4 position if you are pretending the leg is a clock. No. It feels like a solid mass. I don't feel any granulation. I just put the tiniest bit of grit in the feed...really not much at all. I will cease the grit-it is chick grit not full sized grit so I assumed it helped with mastication and it was necessary. I am not feeding any snacks at this time. Thanks again for your response.

 

[twowildgirls]

Also, does she have any respiratory symptoms still?

I haven't seen any in about 24 hours or so. I can't hear any noises besides what all the other chicks are doing which seems normal. I haven't seen any gasping. There is no mucus or discharge from her mouth or eyes.

 

[alinas2010]

You’re welcome Hmm. If you aren’t able to do a video on YouTube, it may be helpful to see her legs positioned oddly. Have you looked into splay leg, does that seem fitting with what is going on with her legs?

I would keep at it with the crop massages and if you have it, she may like coconut oil to nibble on so you don’t have to fight her with olive oil. She may not be feeling well at all if her crop is impacted. Is it that large first thing in the morning?

 

[twowildgirls]

You’re welcome Hmm. If you aren’t able to do a video on YouTube, it may be helpful to see her legs positioned oddly. Have you looked into splay leg, does that seem fitting with what is going on with her legs?

I would keep at it with the crop massages and if you have it, she may like coconut oil to nibble on so you don’t have to fight her with olive oil. She may not be feeling well at all if her crop is impacted. Is it that large first thing in the morning?

Hello, yes I don't know if my post was too convoluted, but I think she does have splay leg, and I have been treating for it the last 24 hours, but it has not seemed to make a difference. If I pick her up and place her by the food or water she will stand for a moment to eat/drink but quickly loses energy and will lay down. She hobbles when she is moving, but will lose balance and or lay down. It is only the one leg that turns out. As I mentioned I have been splinting it, and I followed directions on how to do so I found here, and also watched a video by bock bock bouquet. I will try to get a photo. It looks like every example of splay leg I have found which is why I started treating. This morning the crop had gone down in size from the night before but it seems much bigger tonight than what it was last night. I will keep at it thank you. I don't have any coconut oil on hand but I will get some.

 

[twowildgirls]

You’re welcome Hmm. If you aren’t able to do a video on YouTube, it may be helpful to see her legs positioned oddly. Have you looked into splay leg, does that seem fitting with what is going on with her legs?

I would keep at it with the crop massages and if you have it, she may like coconut oil to nibble on so you don’t have to fight her with olive oil. She may not be feeling well at all if her crop is impacted. Is it that large first thing in the morning?

Here is an image of the leg. I think it may have gotten the tiniest better overnight. It is hard to tell from the photo but it is turned out, and baby chick is not placing it down as much as the other leg because when she does it just slides out from under her essentially. I also wanted to note I took the "splint" off her legs to take the photo so you could see that is why there is some medical wrap on her legs but not in between.

 

[alinas2010]

Ah yes, okay, I see. I’m not super familiar with splay leg, but it may take a few days to treat. You might try treating her for wry neck if her head twitch seems fitting. Let me tag the educators for more help or suggestions for her.

@Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive @azygous anything else that might help?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'd check to see if the tendon is slipped on the leg facing out. You can do an on site search for Slipped Tendon (Perosis) for treatment options.

It's possible she has a leg bone deformity Valgus Varus. Hard to know.

A chick that is contantly peeping for days and won't settle, has leg issues and is not able to eat/drink on it's own is often failure to thrive. Introduce 1/4 tablet B-Complex daily so she gets B2(Riboflavin) which is not in the Poultry Nutri-Drench.