Chick pushing/falling backwards/won't stand up?

[Coyena]

Hi everyone, I picked up a couple bantam chicks to meet a minimum sale (I wanted a couple turkeys but had to buy a minimum of 5 birds) and one is having a really hard time. He/she has gotten trampled an awful lot by the bigger birds I already had at home (the other bantams have blended in just fine) and he has a bloody toe that the others peck at so I separated him and a few other birds from the others. Anyway, he's not really drinking or eating and is "falling" backwards onto his haunches/knees a lot. Sometimes to the point of flipping over entirely onto his back. Once on his back, he can't flip himself back over without help.
I read the rules so here's the form:

1) She/he is a bantam, I believe a game bird of some sort. Does not feel any more delicate or skinnier than the other bantam.
2) What is the behavior?
The behavior is that he is falling backwards uncontrollably. Can't/won't stand. Haven't seen it eating or drinking but will drink if I dip its beak into the water. It is sleeping every time I look at it, but it will respond by stiffening and peeping if touched.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
Since the day I brought it home.
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
Nope.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
Yes, it appears to have maybe a bit of blood around its nostril but that may just be coloring? It's also got trauma to a toenail that the others were picking at before I separated it from them.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
No occurrence sticks out in my mind, unless it just got trampled by the older birds.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
Chick pellets and electrolytes in water. But only when I dip it's beak in the water.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
Someone in the bin has diarrhea, not sure if it's him though.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
Separation and warmth. Also added electrolytes and have been helping it drink.
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?
I hope I can make it better but if not I'd rather put it put of it's misery. A vet isn't really an option.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use.
Pine shavings in a storage bin.

 

[Eggcessive]

Bantam chicks probably should not be eating pellet feed— did you mean to say chick crumbles? Separate the chick with a little screen or divider. Are they in a brooder? She needs a heat lamp at her age. I would start dipping it’s beak into water with electrolytes, or give it the water and a few drops of Poultry NutriDrench daily. Spend some time feeding her a little warm wet feed. Usually they can handle chick crumbles, but she might need it ground a bit more. Is she an OEG bantam? They are very tiny, but mightly. When she is improved, hopefully, you can put her back in with them.

 

[MissMaple]

I'm not an expert but I hope the little banty is okay!

 

[Mylied]

Sounds like selenium deficiency (wry neck). If you can get a baby multivitamin that doesn't say 'with iron' on the front of it, you can give it a drop of that a couple times a day, for a few days. Extra iron is toxic for chicks. If not, and what I usually do, is get a bottle of selenium pills, get a bottle of vitamin e pills, and some electrolytes. Crush up the selenium pill, poke the vitamin e pill and squeeze out the oil, and mix it with a few drops of electrolytes. Then I give a drop or two of that a couple times a day for a few days. They should start perking up after the first day.

 

[lazy gardener]

If you can pick up some Poultry Nutri-Drench and get a bit of full strength into her. If you have not put sugar into the water, you might also do that. 2 TBSP/qt.

What are you using for a heat source?

 

[Coyena]

Bantam chicks probably should not be eating pellet feed— did you mean to say chick crumbles? Separate the chick with a little screen or divider. Are they in a brooder? She needs a heat lamp at her age. I would start dipping it’s beak into water with electrolytes, or give it the water and a few drops of Poultry NutriDrench daily. Spend some time feeding her a little warm wet feed. Usually they can handle chick crumbles, but she might need it ground a bit more. Is she an OEG bantam? They are very tiny, but mightly. When she is improved, hopefully, you can put her back in with them.

yes! I meant chick crumbles, sorry about that. She is so teeny that the crumbles may be too big for her...I do believe she is an OEG or Silver Duckwing, but I'm not sure, as she was in the "assorted bantam" bin at the feed store. They are under a heat lamp, albeit one of those fancy new "clear" ones, because my husband thinks the red colored ones are likely to start a fire.

 

[Mylied]

yes! I meant chick crumbles, sorry about that. She is so teeny that the crumbles may be too big for her...I do believe she is an OEG or Silver Duckwing, but I'm not sure, as she was in the "assorted bantam" bin at the feed store. They are under a heat lamp, albeit one of those fancy new "clear" ones, because my husband thinks the red colored ones are likely to start a fire.

The red ones prevent them from picking at each other. White ones are just as likely to cause a fire as a red one. They both get hot.

 

[Eggcessive]

Poultry NutriDrench has selenium and vitamin E, plus other vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, and amino acids. That would be best. Poultry Cell is also just as good, plus it has riboflavin for leg health. She may just be weak and needs fluids and food, but some chicks can be runts, weak, or suffer from shipping stress or other problems.

 

[Coyena]

The red ones prevent them from picking at each other. White ones are just as likely to cause a fire as a red one. They both get hot.

Yeah, I knew that they helped with the picking. I actually did put the red one in for about an hour and went to check on them, and the older ones were in the corner farthest from it and panting so I think maybe it gets hotter than the white one? I've got the baby separated out from the others and its just....sleeping a lot. Still a fighter though. I'm trying hard not to get attached.

 

[PotatoWaffles]

You might think about making a little "nest" out of a towel or blanket for the chick to stay in to help it keep upright and so that it doesn't hurt itself if it falls. I had a duckling with a similar problem that lasted a couple days after he hatched. I made a nest out of a towel and placed him in that for the first night, making sure to help him drink frequently with a dropper. I made up a batch of sav-a-chick water and also give him a couple drops of poly-vi-sol (without iron). Within a few days, he had recovered completely and never had any issues after that.

I don't know if it's the best advice, but it worked for me in that situation. If you do try a nest, be sure it's situated in the brooder where it's not too hot or too cool. Good luck with chicky!