Brand New Chick Falls Over

[suki'smom]

I have a Candy Corn Polish chick that hatched yesterday (one day early) that cannot seem to stand very well. It seems to push backwards with its legs and falls either backwards or on its side. While in the incubator it stayed on its side for the majority of the time. There is nothing physically wrong with its legs. Two other siblings have hatched out perfectly normal. I have read of people having similar problems with turkey poults. At this point I have given it some vitamin/honey water and have arranged some rolled up towels in its bin to provide it with something to lean against. Anyone have any experience with this. It is
a very healthy chick otherwise with lots of energy.

She is the fuzzier one under the light

 

[hippiechickadee]

I had the exact same thing!

I cut a bandaid in half length wise and put one around each one of her legs just above her feet and bandaged them together. She will spend time hating it at first and it was distressing to me to watch, but leave it on for a few days constant supervision and because she grows so fast, her muscles will grow how you taped them. Change them if they fall off or get loose, two days is all mine took.
Make sure there is no way she can fall in the water and die! Because of the bandages she can't get out! I put marbles in a little dish so this couldn't happen.
Just keep putting her on her feet and in a few days she will be walking around on her own.
PM me if you have questions. I have never owned a chicken before and had to deal with this. It was worth it.
Make sure she eats and drinks. That will help her get strong and grow the right way with her legs bandaged

 

[hippiechickadee]

This is floppy (her name now) before:

This is floppy with bandages:

And here she is just a few days later back with her friends standing on her own: