- Aug 4, 2011
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I'm worried about a new chick we just got (a week ago). I believe she is now 2 weeks old as we were told she was a week old when we got her. Additionally we believe she's an Auraucana (though the breeder said "Ameraucana" she has tail feathers and no ear tufts). She seems to be weighing ok (the Australorp we have with her weighs more but the Barred Rock weighs less).
About two or maybe three days ago she started sleeping a lot. Right now she stumbles when she walks, has trouble gripping with her toes, and seems uninterested in using her legs much in general. She *can* walk, but again tends to stumble and seems to be walking flat footed only. She *seems* comfortable, just uninterested in movement and spends most of her time in the box and out in the yard nestling down into the grass (their box has grass clippings for their floor). She has trouble perching (which she didn't have trouble with 5 days ago). When I pick her up she seems to immediately start nodding off, and is willing to be laid on her back in my hand (the other two struggle to get up as soon as released). She isn't bleeding, and nothing seems to be broken. She isn't cheeping more or less than the others, and seems to be getting food and water (no panting except when I try to get her to exercise her leg muscles, which she doesn't like).
I'm a little bit worried it might be related to some flea powder we put down around their box (they had fleas/mites/whatever). I know she touched the powder at least once, but I'm pretty sure I washed it off right away. Poop seems normal (though perhaps a bit runny?). We're sort of at a loss with what to do, sometimes it seems as if she might be cold (shivering feet), but the other two always seem fine and are exploring and curious whenever we take them outside to roam. I also recently started trying to sort of "remind" her how to use her feet and toes, by gripping my finger with them for her, and trying to do things that spur her towards movement, to keep her legs from atrophying.
Right now they're in a box in our bathtub with a red heat lamp on a few feet above them. It's farther away than books said to put it, but when it's closer all of them start panting. We vaccuumed up the flea powder in case she's breathing it somehow, and their box is filled with grassclippings from our yard over newspaper (we were told giving them a not too uniform bedding would help their feet develop right).
I didn't think anything of it at first because she seems quite happy/content. No panting or distressed noises, but not silent either. But today it became obvious that she has forgotten how to use her toes right. :-\\
About two or maybe three days ago she started sleeping a lot. Right now she stumbles when she walks, has trouble gripping with her toes, and seems uninterested in using her legs much in general. She *can* walk, but again tends to stumble and seems to be walking flat footed only. She *seems* comfortable, just uninterested in movement and spends most of her time in the box and out in the yard nestling down into the grass (their box has grass clippings for their floor). She has trouble perching (which she didn't have trouble with 5 days ago). When I pick her up she seems to immediately start nodding off, and is willing to be laid on her back in my hand (the other two struggle to get up as soon as released). She isn't bleeding, and nothing seems to be broken. She isn't cheeping more or less than the others, and seems to be getting food and water (no panting except when I try to get her to exercise her leg muscles, which she doesn't like).
I'm a little bit worried it might be related to some flea powder we put down around their box (they had fleas/mites/whatever). I know she touched the powder at least once, but I'm pretty sure I washed it off right away. Poop seems normal (though perhaps a bit runny?). We're sort of at a loss with what to do, sometimes it seems as if she might be cold (shivering feet), but the other two always seem fine and are exploring and curious whenever we take them outside to roam. I also recently started trying to sort of "remind" her how to use her feet and toes, by gripping my finger with them for her, and trying to do things that spur her towards movement, to keep her legs from atrophying.
Right now they're in a box in our bathtub with a red heat lamp on a few feet above them. It's farther away than books said to put it, but when it's closer all of them start panting. We vaccuumed up the flea powder in case she's breathing it somehow, and their box is filled with grassclippings from our yard over newspaper (we were told giving them a not too uniform bedding would help their feet develop right).
I didn't think anything of it at first because she seems quite happy/content. No panting or distressed noises, but not silent either. But today it became obvious that she has forgotten how to use her toes right. :-\\
