Chicken can't walk, Please Help!

[ChicksR4Me]

I have 19 meat birds that are almost 6 weeks old. We are planning to butcher them on Sunday. Today I noticed one was smaller than the others and is unable to walk very good. I don't know if he just hasn't been able to get enough food because of the other birds. I seperated him from the rest of the birds and he ate and drank real good but still is lame although it has only been a short time since he's eaten. He's really not big enough to butcher like the others are. I'm wondering if i should try to nurse him back to health and get him up to weight on his own after the others are gone. I know meat birds can have legs problems due to rapid weight gain but he's just not near as big as the others. I have him seperated so he can get plenty of food and water. Does anyone have any ideas of what I should do in this situation?

 

[Glenda L Heywood]

hope fully they won't get ascities by sunday
and yes he may just be a runt

if he is not as big as the others he may make it to right size
but with the leg problems he is surely got something wrong with his body
give it a go and see that he doesn't become more crippled
he may have a touch of mareks
were the chicks vaccinated for marek's?
you don't want to lose any
and sunday is only two days away
best of success with the chickens

I probably give him a 1000 mg vit E capsule with the end cut off and dripped into his beak twice a day so if he has any nerveous disorder he will get the proper vits for it
email with any questions

 

[ChicksR4Me]

Thank you so much for your reply. I don't know if they were vaccinated for mareks or not. I can call the feed store tomorrow and find out. He seems so happy to be seperate from the flock and have all the food and water he wants. I don't have any vit E capsules. Since he's eating and drinking so good I will see how he is in the morning. If he's able to get up and move about pretty good I'll just keep him seperate and give him more time to grow than the others. If he's still not walking tomorrow I'll get some Vit E and try that. Oh... I did mix a little corn syrup in his water to help him have some energy. I'm hoping he'll be better in the morning.

Thank you again for your help!