Five week old chick doing the splits??

[runarounbrown]

About five weeks ago we bought six Americauna hen chicks from a local feed store. They have all been doing great but yesterday one started just huddling in the corner by itself. We brought her in and put her in a box with a heat lamp. She eats fine and is drinking by herself...I have spent three hours on here reading the posts and I am only up to page 20. She prefers to lie with one foot in front of her and one behind her. She is still very alert and seems healthy otherwise. I read the other posts about giving them vitamins and we will try that but does anyone have any idea what this might be?? We have other chickens but they have not come into contact with the bigger birds yet.

Is this a sign of Mareks?

 

[faykokoWV]

http://www.poultryhelp.com/spraddle.html

sound like spraddle leg maybe, try reading this link. It has some pictures that may help you see if that's whats going on. Usually this happens in younger chicks though, not a 5 week old. What kind of bedding are you using.

 

[horseyjess]

I agree with the last poster. That link helped me ALOT I had a Spraddle leg chick but it was about a week or less old. Did the bandaid thing and it is fine and perfect now!!!

 

[sammi]

it could be a sign of Mereks...

but you can try the spraddle legs advice and definitely vitamins..
Poly-vi-sol liquid baby vitamins, Enfamil brand, NO IRON..
give 2 drops once a day on beak (so it dribbles in the mouth)..for 4 days, then 1 drop for 4 days..(can be extended to 6 days)
also some Vitamin E from a capsule.
a little cooked egg yolk and plain yogurt mixed together for a treat.

what bedding are using?

watch for signs of increasing weakness or odd movements, or acting drunk..

 

[runarounbrown]

We have them on pine shavings in their nest box and just regular dirt barn floor when they are out of the box. We have been feeding them chick starter. The other chicks are all doing fine. She is cries out once in a while as though she is in pain. I picked her up this morning. One leg bends easily and the toes move, the other leg is stiff and resists being bended. She is refusing her food today!
Hubby has left to get the vitamins. Thank you for the responses. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my chickens, the part I hate is losing them for so many reasons! I thought when chicks were purchased from a hatchery they were vaccinated already?

 

[faykokoWV]

I don't think most hatcheries vaccinate for mareks unless its requested and they only recommend it if they chicks are going to large scale chicken farm. I could be way off on that, but for some reason that's what I remember.

 

[horsejody]

5 weeks is kind of old for spraddle leg. I would suspect Mareks.

 

[runarounbrown]

Well, our chick is now eating and drinking fine. We have been giving her the vitamins. She is still alert. We hold her near the water and she drinks and lifts her head up to swallow seven or eight drinks at a time. She is pecking at, and eating her crumbles and she is eating flour tortilla. She did not care for the boiled egg yolk. She tries to pull herself upright every so often, and struggles because she cannot get up. We think the skin above one of her legs looks a little blue, like a bruise, or is that the natural skin color there???. I have been reading on Mareks, but I cannot see any of the other symptoms in her. She is now lying with both legs behind her. Sometimes we turn her over on her side and let her legs point forward. She has such a sweet temperment, and is so grateful when we help her....I just love her disposition. I hope we can save her. I do not think the Spradle Leg Treatment will help as when we try to set her up on her feet she cries out in pain!! I am afraid it would cause her more pain than good. When you put her feet behind her the toes spread open. When you put her feet in front of her the toes close like a fist? Any more idea's???

 

[sammi]

try this web site..DCT specializes in these kinds of problems..
sounds like something wrong with the joint..give all details when you post.

http://www.voy.com/194762/

fingers crossed for the chick.

 

[weaveagarden]

Oh, I hope you are able to help her recover. Sounds more like an injury than anything else.

I just wanted you to know that your post has alerted me to what Spradle leg is. I have a 1 week old chick that has it. I had been avoiding putting him/her down because the poor thing is fighting so hard and is eating very heartily. I am hoping the splint will still work at her age. Thanks for posting yours, it is helping my little one.