- Mar 12, 2010
- 4
- 0
- 7
I had a chick (3 days old) who began limping and then rapidly declined into mostly sleeping and only walking on her hocks (half sitting). She was lethargic, hardly ever eating, and seemed to just want to cuddle next to the other chicks. I did a lot of research and found that chicks can have a riboflavin (vitamin B-2) deficiency due to their mothers not having eaten enough riboflavin or not having enough in their chick starter feed themselves. The symptoms of riboflavin deficiency in chicks match the lethargy and partial leg paralysis that my chick had. The deficiency can also cause the toes to curl and the legs to become splayed. The good news is that if you notice a chick with these symptoms early on, you can reverse the problems by supplementing the chick's diet with nutritional yeast flakes (brewer's yeast should also work). Since she wasn't eating I added some water to chick starter with a good sprinkle of yeast flakes to make a thin sort of paste and put it in her mouth a few times a day. Within 2 days after I began the treatment she was eating and drinking on her own. I then stopped hand feeding her on day 3 as she began walking normally. She still isn't quite as feathered out as the rest of the chicks, but is acting completely normal and is gaining weight normally.
Just wanted to share this treatment for those in the same boat who are despairing about their lame chicks. Make sure they have the company of other chicks as long as the others aren't pecking (ours got stepped on a lot, but didn't get hurt) and hold them a little. Don't give up on them!
Just wanted to share this treatment for those in the same boat who are despairing about their lame chicks. Make sure they have the company of other chicks as long as the others aren't pecking (ours got stepped on a lot, but didn't get hurt) and hold them a little. Don't give up on them!
