Brand new here and just finished up my intro post. I've been a lurker for the past year, which is the entire time we have had chickens. We have 3 Barred Rocks, 2 hens and a roo. One of the hens went broody and ended up with 3 eggs that all hatched. The first chick disappeared from the coop/run without a trace at 4 days old, so we brought the other 2 inside when they hatched to put in the brooder with the bantam Cochins the wife brought home. The last one to hatch has always spent most of her time laying down and has had trouble balancing. We have tried a few things that haven't completely works, but her head and neck no longer shake when extended. I grabbed the template below from the sticky in this section and filled it out.
1) What type of bird , age and weight - Barred Rock, approx. 5 weeks old, same weight as her healthy day older sister
2) What is the behavior, exactly - Currently, wobbly or unsteady when walking, spend most of the time laying down, easily knocked over by the other chicks, has been found upside down and unable to upright herself twice now. Previously, her head and neck would shake when extended, but would immediately stop if supporting even the tip of her beak in the slightest. She seems to be feathering out normally. When picked up, she straighten her legs out like she in mid jump and stretches her neck out while trying to grab the edged of my hand with her wings. She will cling on to anything she can get her feet on for dear life and not uncurl her toes unless I uncurl them for her, but when walking in the brooder she walks normally with her feet flat. She just seems very unsteady most of the time.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? - Since hatching
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? - No
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma? - No
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation? - She was the last to hatch and momma hen was getting up for food and water and to stretch more. When I found her in the nest, momma was out and chick still had some dampness down her back.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all? - We started all the chicks, both the feed store chicks and her sister, on medicated feed and save-a-chick electrolytes. After thinking that she may have a possible thiamine deficiency, we switched to non-medicated feed. We also switched to using Rooster Booster in her water and then to Durvet Vitamin powder in her water. They have had chick grit available as well. She eats and drinks just fine, other that being a little wobbly. We have also been putting a drop or 2 of VetRX on her water when it gets refreshed.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. - I have seen both normal and diarrhea.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? - Daily treatment of VetRX on beak, Rooster Booster in water, switched to Durvet Vitamin in water, even started daily treatment of approx 1/2-1 drop of pet CBD oil (whatever I can get her to take without forcing her beak open).
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet? - Treat completely myself
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help. - N/A
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use - Medium pine shavings in a large tote in a bathtub. Heat lamp hanging overhead with thermometer in the cold side, floor temperature is now around 85* and closer to 90* on the opposite side of the brooder. Food and water are now slightly elevated on wood blocks so they don't step in them as much.
Any insight into this would be greatly appreciated! We were devastated when the first chick just up and vanished and now we've been struggling to come up with anything concrete with this chick. Since her and her sister were hatched from our flock, they are the only 2 that are unmedicated, but her sister is growing up just fine with no issues. We have even observed the Cochins huddling around her at times and the one chunkier Cochin (Frizzle, we think) has been seen tucking the wobbly chick under her wing.
1) What type of bird , age and weight - Barred Rock, approx. 5 weeks old, same weight as her healthy day older sister
2) What is the behavior, exactly - Currently, wobbly or unsteady when walking, spend most of the time laying down, easily knocked over by the other chicks, has been found upside down and unable to upright herself twice now. Previously, her head and neck would shake when extended, but would immediately stop if supporting even the tip of her beak in the slightest. She seems to be feathering out normally. When picked up, she straighten her legs out like she in mid jump and stretches her neck out while trying to grab the edged of my hand with her wings. She will cling on to anything she can get her feet on for dear life and not uncurl her toes unless I uncurl them for her, but when walking in the brooder she walks normally with her feet flat. She just seems very unsteady most of the time.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? - Since hatching
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? - No
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma? - No
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation? - She was the last to hatch and momma hen was getting up for food and water and to stretch more. When I found her in the nest, momma was out and chick still had some dampness down her back.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all? - We started all the chicks, both the feed store chicks and her sister, on medicated feed and save-a-chick electrolytes. After thinking that she may have a possible thiamine deficiency, we switched to non-medicated feed. We also switched to using Rooster Booster in her water and then to Durvet Vitamin powder in her water. They have had chick grit available as well. She eats and drinks just fine, other that being a little wobbly. We have also been putting a drop or 2 of VetRX on her water when it gets refreshed.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. - I have seen both normal and diarrhea.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? - Daily treatment of VetRX on beak, Rooster Booster in water, switched to Durvet Vitamin in water, even started daily treatment of approx 1/2-1 drop of pet CBD oil (whatever I can get her to take without forcing her beak open).
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet? - Treat completely myself
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help. - N/A
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use - Medium pine shavings in a large tote in a bathtub. Heat lamp hanging overhead with thermometer in the cold side, floor temperature is now around 85* and closer to 90* on the opposite side of the brooder. Food and water are now slightly elevated on wood blocks so they don't step in them as much.
Any insight into this would be greatly appreciated! We were devastated when the first chick just up and vanished and now we've been struggling to come up with anything concrete with this chick. Since her and her sister were hatched from our flock, they are the only 2 that are unmedicated, but her sister is growing up just fine with no issues. We have even observed the Cochins huddling around her at times and the one chunkier Cochin (Frizzle, we think) has been seen tucking the wobbly chick under her wing.
