Day old chicken can’t stand

[Bec9120]

Hi all. One my my babies has hatched from the incubator and it can’t stand properly and keeps falling over, I’ll attach photos. Any advice please

 

[BarnyardChaos]

How long ago did it hatch?
In the pictures it looks like its head is falling over backwards... is it doing strange things with its neck, walking in circles, or backwards?

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

It looks to me like your chick may have wry neck, also called torticollis. I put stargazing (another term for it) chicks into cups to keep them safe and upright and administer a vitamin supplement like Poultry Nutri-Drench by mouth several times a day, as wry neck may be caused by a vitamin deficiency. I prefer to wet a Q-tip with the vitamin solution and just touch it to the corner of the chick's beak to avoid aspiration of the liquid.

Best wishes for your chick's recovery.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

I second the Nutri-Drench. I haven't dealt with wry neck but I have saved a few chicks with Nutri-Drench. Can it eat on its own? I make a mash of egg yolk, chick starter and Nutri-Drench for failing chicks and it has never failed to revive them.

 

[Bec9120]

How long ago did it hatch?
In the pictures it looks like its head is falling over backwards... is it doing strange things with its neck, walking in circles, or backwards?

It’s not walking at all. Just keeps falling on to its back. Not eating or drinking either. Been hatched for over 24hrs.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

If it's going to survive, it needs to get up on its feet asap. I'm not an expert, but I recommend putting it in a sling or cup for a little while, several times a day, like those in this thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/versions-of-chick-chairs-please.1166308/

 

[BarnyardChaos]

If your chick has wry neck, it's imperative to give her vitamin E with a source of selenium. You could try using a Q-tip to apply vitamin E (with selenium). Open her beak (pull down on the skin below her lower beak) and try to put a drop or two in her mouth, OR--- apply it to the corner of her beak to prevent aspiration (as recommended by @FoodFreedomNow above). If you can get her upright in a sling, make a mash of a tiny bit of chick starter with scrambled egg yolk, and mix a vitamin E capsule in it.
Chicks don't eat or drink usually in the first 24 hours, since the absorbed yolk supplies all the food they need. But they'll need water soon.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/wry-neck-causes-treatment-and-prevention.67732/

 

[BarnyardChaos]

And I third the recommendation for Nutri-Drench as well.