First time chicken keeper...Six Week Old Chick Can't Stand

[casencourt]

I am so frustrated and heartbroken right now. I just found my little 6 week old gold laced wyandotte lying on her side in the run. She is always the wildest of the three running around like crazy. She is really nervous and will flip around in circles when I come near. She also tried to fly, but just landed on her side again. It seems as though both legs are moving and working, just not able to support her. I'm going to email the person that I bought her from to ask if she was vaccinated for Marek's. Her eyes look normal and she is very alert. She doesn't seem to have lost any of her neurological control, she just can't stand up. I've placed a tiny food bowl and water bowl beside her. I don't want to pick her up because she freaks out and I don't want to injure her and stress her further.

If it is Marek's should I even try to segregate the others? Won't they already have it? Is there any hope? I am a first time chicken keeper and this is just killing me. I've done everything I can to keep them happy. I thoroughly clean their feeder and waterer twice a week. I've only had them in the coop for 10 days so I haven't changed the pine shavings yet because they only spend a little time in there. I keep a fan on them in hot weather and I place frozen water bottles in their run. I thought I was doing everything right. I'm going to try to find some electrolytes to add to their water. I don't know what else to do.

Maybe I wasn't ready for this.......

 

[FlyHigher]

Bless!
I really hate MD.

 

[welasharon]

I am so frustrated and heartbroken right now.  I just found my little 6 week old gold laced wyandotte lying on her side in the run.  She is always the wildest of the three running around like crazy.  She is really nervous and will flip around in circles when I come near.  She also tried to fly, but just landed on her side again.  It seems as though both legs are moving and working, just not able to support her.  I'm going to email the person that I bought her from to ask if she was vaccinated for Marek's.  Her eyes look normal and she is very alert.  She doesn't seem to have lost any of her neurological control, she just can't stand up.  I've placed a tiny food bowl and water bowl beside her.  I don't want to pick her up because she freaks out and I don't want to injure her and stress her further.      

If it is Marek's should I even try to segregate the others?  Won't they already have it?  Is there any hope?   I am a first time chicken keeper and this is just killing me.  I've done everything I can to keep them happy.  I thoroughly clean their feeder and waterer twice a week.  I've only had them in the coop for 10 days so I haven't changed the pine shavings yet because they only spend a little time in there.  I keep a fan on them in hot weather and I place frozen water bottles in their run.  I thought I was doing everything right. I'm going to try to find some electrolytes to add to their water.  I don't know what else to do.  

Maybe I wasn't ready for this.......

If she's on medicated chick starter I would start putting crushed vitamin B tablets in her food and also I would give her a drop of poly vi sol baby liquid vitamin in her beak once a day. In some chicks the medicated starter prohibits the absorption of the B vitamin and it affects the legs first. If that isn't the problem then the vitamins won't hurt at least.

 

[questions543]

Is there any blood in their poop? If their is then its cocci I just lost my favourite first chick (blue laced red wyandotte) to cocci

. It was too late for her but she saved the other ones. Im also a first time chicken owner and it really is hard. she had all the same symptoms as yours but you will be certain if there is blood in their feces

 

[casencourt]

1. They were fed medicated chick starter for the first four weeks, I now have them on unmedicated.

2. All poops look normal. Nothing bloody, nothing runny.

3. I JUST FOUND MOLD GROWING ON SOME POO! I have moved the tractor three times in 10 days, but we have had a lot of rain here lately and the temperatures have been crazy hot and humid. I'd say this is a perfect mold environment. I've moved the tractor, but I can't thoroughly clean the run (it has a wire floor) until tomorrow. It's nearly 10 pm here and there is no way I can do this in the dark.

Could this be mold related and if so, how do I heal her????

 

[leadwolf1]

The first thing I would do is start her on the vitamins. Separate her from the others so that they don't pick on her...she can't get away if the start on her. Put her in a safe, quiet, cool place. Who knows, the heat and a combination of other things could be the problem. In addition to the poly vi sol, I would give her 200 ius or vitamin E daily.

She is too young to exhibit symptoms of Marek's. They usually don't show signs until they are at least 10 weeks old. So, put that out of your mind for now. In a chick this age, the only way Marek's can be diagnosed is through a necropsy...since, the actual signs/symptoms of Marek's doesn't show up until later. If you are still concerned and the vitamins don't make a difference, it can take up to two weeks, have her euthanized and a necropsy performed so that you will know exactly what you are dealing with.

Good luck with your baby! I hope it's just heat and a vitamin deficiency!

I forgot the mold...try a molassis drench...you can search it on here!

 

[casencourt]

It isn't looking good for my little chicken. My husband and I checked her last night and believe that she has broken her neck. Like I said, she was always the craziest of the three. She may have tried to fly and somehow injured herself in the run. I have her in our cool garage in a pet carrier. I have no doubt that when I check her again, she will be gone. I am a little relieved that it doesn't seem to be any type of disease. I was able to thoroughly inspect her and everything seems completely fine, except her neck.

Last night her legs and wings were working just fine, her neck was just limp. I'm assuming this is what a broken neck is like?
This morning, she isn't moving much and didn't even make a peep when I picked her up.
I'm afraid it won't be long. I don't think I'll have to do anything, it seems nature is working quickly.

 

[leadwolf1]

If she isn't gone yet...I'm so sorry if she is

Do you want to check on threads on Wry Neck? Just give a look see and see if this might be the case instead of a broken neck.

 

[casencourt]

I've been looking into wry neck. It's not that she's holding her head at a particular angle; she just isn't holding it at all. It's not twisted. She isn't able to stand or sit. She just lies on her side, not moving at all. She was fine one day, then basically gone the next. There is no reason that she should be dehydrated or starved because she was munching yesterday morning. She has just gone down hill so fast. She is physically fine, except her neck. I just think she has done some sort of major damage to it. It has just progressed so fast. I've talked to a lot of people and they have never had their chickens break their necks, but then I look on here and see several people have had similar issues. I'm just going to assume this is what happened, given her crazy demeanor and sudden downfall.



I am going to scrub the coop and run, and get some vitamins for the others, just incase. If anyone has any other advice, please let me know. I am just afraid it's too late for this little one. I truly appreciate everyone's comments and advice. This is such a wonderful community and I hope to one day be knowledgeable enough to give advice as well.

 

[leadwolf1]

If you truly believe that she has broken her neck..then, you need to euthanize. She is suffering and shouldn't be left for nature to take its course. If you don't want to do that then, give the vitamins a try...what would it hurt?

As for starving...vitamin deficiencies have nothing to do with starvation. Some chicks, just like some people, don't seem to metabolize the vitamins out of their food as well as others...they just need more vitamins then others.