Chick can't stand or walk, but kind of tries.. HELP

[brittwalters]

So my chick finally hatched last night or 11 or so, so it's been hatched for 11 hours. I left in there all night, hoping it would make it (it was the very last chick to hatch on day 24 and didn't really have a smooth hatch). It's dried out, but it has very little feathers/hair on it. It can lift its head a little better right now, but barely, and is chirping a little more.. but it can't walk or stand up. She's been trying to jump around and move, but she's then so worn out she cant even lift her head up. I'm not sure if she has leg problems? or what is going on! I managed to get a towel under the wire in the incubator (without changing the temp or the humidity

) to her get a better balance on somethingI need help.

 

[Megan Amber]

Sounds like she is just really weak and needs time to stretch out. It might take a while. You can help excersice her and make sure she gets a little to drink-not to much though-if you want you could put a little molasses in the water as an energy supplement. Good Luck!

 

[brittwalters]

I don't have molasses on hand yet, but I can go get some. I read somewhere to give them electrolyte or vitamin water... can I give her diluted gatorade? Should I splint her legs?

 

[Megan Amber]

Not sure about the gatorade but you can use a little bit of sugar-teaspoon-and a pinch of salt as a electrolyte/energy supplement. You may need to splint but that can be difficult to do. also having a no slip material in the bottom of the brooder will help her to get up.

 

[brittwalters]

Theres material at the bottom so she won't slip. I gave her the sugar & salt water mixture you recommended, but it's so hard to get her to drink anything. She did finally just poop though and now she's eating some starter feed. I'm really worried about her not being able to walk. She's trying to had to get around.. but her legs just aren't letting her. I tried to pick her up, so only her feet were touching to assist her in walking, but she started chirping to the high heavens like she was in pain, so she's resting again. I think I'm going to give her a day or two before I try anything too drastic, like trying to splint her legs myself.

 

[Megan Amber]

I would wait a day,but not two. You want her legs to still be soft still so they can grow the way they should. But definitely wait to see if she perks up. You may have done it this way already but just in case, if you dip the tip of her beak in the water it will encourage her to drink. It is good that she is eating! I have had chicks like this and sometimes they just need time to stretch things back out. After all it is pretty crowded in that egg!

 

[brittwalters]

I tried dipping her beak into it, it's not working. I took a syringe and dripped it onto her beak. Now, she likes to peck at the syringe, so every time she does I've been dripping a tiny bit out onto her beak. Have you ever splinted a chicks legs before? I keep reading different ways to do it and every time I go even look at her legs or go near them, she freaks out; so I'm not sure if it's going to hurt her or if she just doesn't want me near her legs..

 

[Megan Amber]

I have but didn't do to good of a job. Now I just kind of wrap the leg so that it stays straight. I use a bandaid or a little peice of tape. She probably cries because her leg is a little sore.

 

[brittwalters]

I tried using a bandaid to do it, I'm assuming I did it. It doesn't look like its doing anything except make it hard for her to move around. I'm going to try and find a vet around me that will splint it better than I did. Thanks for your help

 

[Megan Amber]

Sorry I wasn't more. Let me know how things go!