Chick Extremely weak!!!

[Chickquail army]

Ok so to start off I have a 1 week old chick, she chirps loudly and seems to have a will to live. My problem is that she won't peck for food. Another problem is that she can't walk, it seems like one of her legs won't work despite correcting her curled toes (which resulted in crooked toes) she has to be assisted with her feeding and drinking plus she can't walk al all. She sort of drags or pushes herself against the floor.

Details: she was assisted at hatch and still has her ubilical cord, dryer but attached. Won't eat, will drink, won't walk. Yet fights for her life.

What can I do to get rid of these problems and fully heal her to be a normal chicken?

(I'm really desperate to save her since she is the only one of 6 to make it)

 

[Alaskan]

Ok so to start off I have a 1 week old chick, she chirps loudly and seems to have a will to live. My problem is that she won't peck for food. Another problem is that she can't walk, it seems like one of her legs won't work despite correcting her curled toes (which resulted in crooked toes) she has to be assisted with her feeding and drinking plus she can't walk al all. She sort of drags or pushes herself against the floor.

Details: she was assisted at hatch and still has her ubilical cord, dryer but attached. Won't eat, will drink, won't walk. Yet fights for her life.

What can I do to get rid of these problems and fully heal her to be a normal chicken?

(I'm really desperate to save her since she is the only one of 6 to make it)

I am sorry...but it doesn't sound good.

I would feed her warm sugar water, then if that peps her up at all...I would try to feed her peanut butter thinned down with warm sugar water.

I would try to get a bit of the peanut butter mix, warmed up, into her about every 15 to 20 minutes.

After an hour of that....either she will look better and more interested in food...or it will be clear that she needs to be culled.

So sorry. ...these things are terribly heartbreaking.

 

[Glenda Heywoodo]

Alaskan gave good advice.
Here is an article you may gain some knowledge from.
http://www.theselfsufficienthomeacre.com/2015/02/how-to-care-for-a-sick-chick.html
(1) Water ~ Use clean, fresh water that is not chlorinated and preferably hasn’t been treated with a water softener. For the first few days, put 2 or 3 tablespoons of sugar in each quart of water to give the little ones extra energy. Do not substitute honey because it can contain botulism spores that are fatal to young animals. I like to use an electrolyte tab in the chick water that contains vitamins, minerals, probiotics, and other nutrients. After the first few days you can give them plain water as long as they appear healthy.

(2) Weakness ~ Chicks that seem weak should be cared for quickly. Warm the little one up in your hands and feed it plain yogurt mixed with water from an eyedropper. Don’t force the liquid into their beak (unless it’s so weak it won’t take food at all), but rather drip very small amounts onto the end of the beak so the baby can tip its head back and swallow it. Be sure it stays warm, isn’t being pecked by the others, and continue feedings at least every 2 hours until it is able to get food and water on its own. If it begins to perk up, you can mix a pinch of chick starter feed into the yogurt mix and see if it will peck at the mix to eat. If the little one had a difficult hatch or is just a bit weak from shipping, but is otherwise healthy, this should get it through a rough patch.

(3) Vitamin & Mineral Deficiencies ~ There are too many possibilities to mention here, but most likely if you are feeding a fresh, balanced chick starter, the baby birds are getting all of the nutrients that they need. If you aren’t sure, you may feed them a mashed boiled egg (remove shell). If they have trouble eating this, mix with enough water to make a thin gruel and feed with an eyedropper. Mixing a little bit of yogurt in with the egg will introduce beneficial bacteria to the gut and that may help too. For more information about deficiencies, check out this website…The Merck Veterinary Manual.

(4) sad to say this but:
Putting a Chick Down ~ Sometimes it is necessary to euthanize a chick. If you wish to take it to a veterinary who specializes in bird care, you have that option. When I have the unfortunate task of putting down a sick chick, I use the same method I use for processing chickens…one clean strike of a hatchet to decapitate the bird and end its life quickly. It isn’t pretty and it isn’t easy for me to do. However, I have had to do this on a number of occassions and I know that it ended their suffering.

This article is not a complete reference for caring for sick or injured baby poultry. Instead, it is intended as a starting point. For more information about poultry diseases, check out this website…The Poultry Site ~ Diseases of Poultry

 

[Chickquail army]

It is truly heart breaking watching the chick drag herself across her brooder. I can't bring myself to cull her because of my motherly nature and my parents are thinking of building her wheels to help her atleast travel since she is desperately trying to walk. I'll try the peanut butter and see how that works...

 

[Alaskan]

If she Peps up there might be something that can be done about her legs.

Splayed leg can at times be taped into position, and then they might heal. Crooked toes can be taped straight.

However, she needs to eat and drink well first.

 

[mustang56]

curled toes usually work themselves out....
are the legs at all separated...? splay leg...?
I'll look around the net, see what I can see...
I'd give her some poly vi sol WITHOUT iron... (children's vitamin in a bottle)
Maybe a little warm soaking in a sink, holding her... then blow dry on warm...

 

[Chickquail army]

Sadly the little chick gave up on life since she stopped swallowing the small pieces of chick crumble we force fed her with and the crumbles sat at the back of her throat. She passed away yesterday ;-;

 

[Krisabelle]

I'm so sorry for your loss...

 

[Alaskan]

Sorry for your loss.

 

[oldhen2345]

If she Peps up there might be something that can be done about her legs.

Splayed leg can at times be taped into position, and then they might heal. Crooked toes can be taped straight.

However, she needs to eat and drink well first.

I had a chick with splayed leg. I cut a straw to the length I thought the chicks legs should be from each other and put a small rubber band through it. I put each end of the small band around a leg (not easy- the chick objected). I made sure it wasn't too loose or too tight. I had to check frequently to be sure it was on, but in a few days, the chick could walk just fine. the brace pulled the muscles in place and held them there to strengthen in the right position.