Chick with weak legs, help!

[peepers93]

Hey everyone, I'm new here. I found this site while googling to find information about chicks with weak legs. I just bought my first chicks earlier this week - they're about 4 days old now. We got 5 Rhode Island Red and 5 Barred Rock. All are doing great except one Barred Rock. It's having trouble standing, and has taken to mostly just laying in one spot. It will occasionally try to get up, but it's like its legs can't support it. Is there anything I can do for it? I believe I'll have to separate it from the others, they've began pecking at it. Any advice is appreciated! I'm really worried about it.

 

[cowboyclayt]

Is it spraddle leg? If you have any apple cider vineager (the BRAGG mother kind) mix 1/4 cup of it in 1 quart of water. Can you post a video of it? Other people will know more than I do.

 

[peepers93]

No its not spraddle leg, it just acts like it's legs cant support it. The weird thing is when I put it on a hard surface (like our linoleum floor) it stands and walks fine? It's not as active as the others, but when I sat it down in our hallway to feed it separately it got up and moved around good.

I'll try to get a video, but I only have my cell phone to record with so I'm not sure what the quality will be.

 

[peepers93]

And thank you for the suggestion of the apple cider vinegar! I believe I have some, I'll try to get it to drink some.

 

[peepers93]

Chick isn't wanting to eat or drink..I've given it water with a syringe a few times (Last time with ACV mixed in). But when I get it out it walks around and acts mostly fine. It's not as active as the others, and still lays down quite a bit, but it gets up and walks all over the place and flaps its wings and everything.

Also, everyone I put it back in the brooder, it immediately goes straight for the side where the heat lamp is and lays directly under it and begins panting like it's overheated. It has plenty of space to move away from the heat, but chooses to lay under the lamp. Anyone got any suggestions? I have no clue what's going on with this little chick.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Welcome To BYC

Can you post some photos of your brooder and chick? A video of it's actions would be helpful as well.
How old are the chicks?

If the chick can walk on a hard surface, but is having trouble navigating the brooder, then it may be having a traction problem - what is your brooder lined with?

Offer her some poultry vitamins and encourage her to drink. You can give her wet chick starter once you are satisfied she has drank enough.

Let us know how they are doing.

 

[peepers93]

Thanks for the advice. Sorry I didn't respond earlier, I'm having trouble getting this website to work on my phone - I have to switch to desktop view, which makes it hard to navigate.

Anyways, unfortunately the chick died overnight. I got her to eat and drink several times over the weekend, and she seemed to be moving around better so we were hopeful she'd be okay, but I guess not. And as far as traction - the brooder is lined with pine shavings, so I don't know why she had trouble walking on it.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm sorry for your loss.

Are the rest doing ok?

 

[peepers93]

Yes, they're doing great! The RIRs are losing a ton of their down already, and all the chicks are growing like crazy. We're actually going to run back to TSC this afternoon and get 6 more chicks lol. The 9 we bought already were straight run, and we're afraid we'll end up with mostly roosters so we're going to get some pullets just to be sure we'll at least get some eggs.