Can chicks just be clumsy?

[larsonas]

Hi all,

I have looked this up as many ways as I can think of but still don't feel like I have a good answer. I have a silkie chick that is 3 wks old. She seems to eat and drink fine, poo looks normal and is slowly growing, but takes 5-10 steps and falls forward. She chirps pretty loud and flaps her wings really fast and gets back on her feet on her own. She isn't super active like my RIRs were, but I wouldn't call her lethargic. I got her 2 weeks ago and she's not doing better or worse. She isn't with any other chicks except for her two older siblings which are about 7 wks old. Was just curious if anyone has a chick that's just clumsy? We love her to pieces and want to make sure if there's something we can do for her that we do it, but if it's possible she's just clumsy, I don't want to treat her unnecessarily. Any thoughts or experience with this?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi all,

I have looked this up as many ways as I can think of but still don't feel like I have a good answer. I have a silkie chick that is 3 wks old. She seems to eat and drink fine, poo looks normal and is slowly growing, but takes 5-10 steps and falls forward. She chirps pretty loud and flaps her wings really fast and gets back on her feet on her own. She isn't super active like my RIRs were, but I wouldn't call her lethargic. I got her 2 weeks ago and she's not doing better or worse. She isn't with any other chicks except for her two older siblings which are about 7 wks old. Was just curious if anyone has a chick that's just clumsy? We love her to pieces and want to make sure if there's something we can do for her that we do it, but if it's possible she's just clumsy, I don't want to treat her unnecessarily. Any thoughts or experience with this?

Hi @larsonas Welcome to BYC

Can take a video of her? Upload to youtube and provide a link.

Is she eating/drinking o.k.?
What type of bedding are you using?
What are you feeding?

Do you notice if her legs are splayed or spraddled?
Generally for a weak chick I would give 1-2 drops of Poultry Nutri-Drench 2 times a day for a week.

Hopefully with more information, photos/video we can make better suggestions.

 

[larsonas]

She is eating and drinking. We are using just a light layer of pine shavings. They are eating starter feed. Nothing wrong with her legs that I am seeing. I've seen her stand on one foot so it doesn't seem her legs are weak. I've had the breeder over and she was puzzled as well.

 

[Cryss]

Is the bottom of the coop/brooder lines with something slippery for a little one? I see her feathered feet, could they have something on them making it slippery?

 

[larsonas]

Is the bottom of the coop/brooder lines with something slippery for a little one? I see her feathered feet, could they have something on them making it slippery?

We've tried to put her on carpet, a towel, and a corkboard, but it looks more like a trip than a slip.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

We've tried to put her on carpet, a towel, and a corkboard, but it looks more like a trip than a slip.

She is eating and drinking. We are using just a light layer of pine shavings. They are eating starter feed. Nothing wrong with her legs that I am seeing. I've seen her stand on one foot so it doesn't seem her legs are weak. I've had the breeder over and she was puzzled as well.

I would try her on shelf liner to see if that helps.
To me, there is something "off" about the way she walks/the way her legs look, but I can't put my finger on it. Hopefully @Eggcessive and @coach723 will stop by and offer suggestions.

I would give her vitamin E and B-Complex to see if that helps as well. 400IU vitamin E and 1/4 tablet Vitamin B-Complex daily for a week or so.
She's eating/drinking so that's good. I would give her a smidge of scrambled egg daily too.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would have to agree that something doesn’t look right with her walking. I don’t know if it is more something with her right leg or not. I would continue to watch her walking, and start the vitamins. Make sure that she can reach food and water.

 

[coach723]

I don't have any experience with silkies personally, but do a lot of reading. It looks neurological to me. Vitamins won't hurt and may very well help, but I'm wondering if this is one of those cases called water on the brain, an infection due to the vaulted skull.
I think it would require antibiotics and an anti inflammatory to treat, based on what I've read. https://poultrykeeper.com/blog/diseases-common-to-silkies/
Here is another link where it's referred to as a cerebral hernia, medications suggested are Baytril and cortisone shots, see post #8.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/silkies-with-no-balance.369048/

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I don't have any experience with silkies personally, but do a lot of reading. It looks neurological to me. Vitamins won't hurt and may very well help, but I'm wondering if this is one of those cases called water on the brain, an infection due to the vaulted skull.
I think it would require antibiotics and an anti inflammatory to treat, based on what I've read. https://poultrykeeper.com/blog/diseases-common-to-silkies/
Here is another link where it's referred to as a cerebral hernia, medications suggested are Baytril and cortisone shots, see post #8.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/silkies-with-no-balance.369048/

Good info.
I did notice the head shake (tremble?) when she got up, but couldn't be quite sure about that. A peck to the head possibly? She is with 7wk olds. She does have quite a high crest to me, but I've never had Silkies either.

 

[larsonas]

I don't have any experience with silkies personally, but do a lot of reading. It looks neurological to me. Vitamins won't hurt and may very well help, but I'm wondering if this is one of those cases called water on the brain, an infection due to the vaulted skull.
I think it would require antibiotics and an anti inflammatory to treat, based on what I've read. https://poultrykeeper.com/blog/diseases-common-to-silkies/
Here is another link where it's referred to as a cerebral hernia, medications suggested are Baytril and cortisone shots, see post #8.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/silkies-with-no-balance.369048/

Thank you very much for this information! I will check out these links! I'll start looking for a vet that treats chickens as mine currently doesn't.