chick with crooked neck and wont stand

[Signofthethistle]

I hope this is the right spot to ask this

My first hatch ever and i'm freaking out! My two little baby quail hatched last night about 8pm. Both look healthy, are peeping like mad and wriggling for all they are worth.

One of the babies, the first to hatch, is all fluffy now while the other is still not completely dry, it looks like some the goo has hardened on her and wont let he fluff up.

I originally had 3 eggs, but one hatched and died while doing so, it had not enveloped all of it's yoke.

The first to hatch, the fluffy one, is wiggling around in the bator. He's been in there overnight and all of today (at time of posting this, it will have been 24h since he hatched). his legs are strong as when I pick him up and craddle in my hand, he pushes against the cup. I've splinted his legs for splay leg, but I'm not sure this is what it is. He wiggles around until his feet are sticking perfectly straight at the bottom and his neck is turned so the back of his head touches his back. It looks like the mother of all stretches. when I cup him in my hand, he wiggles until he's laying on his side in his position. He's been on his back and stomach before and always maddly kicks with both feet until he's in that same position. He seemed to push himself out of the egg on his own just fine.

The other unfeathered chick is peeping lots as well, but is much smaller (maybe just the difference of fluff?). She was doing the same thing, but in reading a number of posts here on BYC I plunked her in a (clean) shot glass for about a half hour. She seemed to figure her legs out and is now laying on her stomach, legs underneath her and lays here, until she wiggles around.

Is it normal for quail chicks to be doing this at a day old... is it birth defects and/if it is, is there anything that can be done with them.

I've with held food and water for the last 24 hours to see if they will get themselves figured out but it doesn't seem like they have. little unfuzzy quail seems about the closest to this, but since they dont have the power to move themselves around too well, I dont want to stick them in with water.

Any help would be much appreciated!!

 

[fried green eggs]

I don't know anything about little quails but, could this be a vitamin deficiency? My guess is giving them some childrens poly-vi-sol vitamins might help. Or Sav-A-Chick available at TSC. Here is a link on chick leg issues it also gives info on deficiencies. https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry

The little one with the dried on stuff would benifit from a little warm sponge bath. I would use cotton balls to clean it up so, it can fluff up. I use a small shallow jar lid to give some water to new chicks. I have read that incubator issues can cause problems in new born chicks. I hope it gets straighten out. Good Luck.

 

[Signofthethistle]

Thanks so much, I left the fluffy one in the shot glass overnight and am feeding it water with electrolytes in it to ensure it's hydrated. It seemes to be a little better, it's now laying on it's stomach with feet tucked under, but still is keeping it's neck twisted back. I'll go out and get some poly vi sol. How much should it get? quail chicks are about 1/2-1/3 the size of a chicken chick!

 

[Signofthethistle]

I found this online. Turns out it is a vitamin deficiency of vitamin B. This is not my chick pictured below, but mine holds its head like this, and stretches it's legs out to the back, laying on it's side. Thanks for your help! Off to the drugstore now!

431.In birds, vitamin B, (thiamine) deficiency is clinically and morphologically manifested with paralysis of limbs and muscle atrophy, beginning from the flexors of toes and ascending towards the extensors of legs, wings and the neck. The chickens acquire a specific posture with flexed legs and the head drawn back (stargazing). As hypovitaminosis B, causes a severe anorexia, thiamine supplementation to the drinking water is advised until the recovery of acute deficiency and thereafter, the vitamin could be added to the forage
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/6/diseases-of-poultry/216/vitamin-bi-deficiency

 

[mattsinger]

well, I learned something today...Thanks

 

[Signofthethistle]

I did too!! I'm glad to have found it! I purchased some poly-vi-sol and have read it's supposed to clear it up in a few days.

1 drop 2-3 x a day until it clears up. I might keep adding it to their water after that to ensure it's gone for good!

 

[fried green eggs]

That's great! I would try getting it to eat some mashed up cooked egg with a small amount of regular yogurt. When they are not eating with other chicks, I have found by holding the chick and if I got a few very very little bite size pieces on my finger - the chick will peck at the specks of food and get some nourishment. Good Luck with your little ones.