Floppy chick

Pippin quail

Songster
Aug 19, 2020
321
992
161
Central Alberta, Edmonton area
I have some chicks that hatched yesterday and today. This one either hatched sometime last night or early morning. It's wings are always kind of away from us body almost hanging down and it can't seem to stand upright. All my other chicks (5 of them so far) are running around, eating, drinking, and picking on this one when it's in there. Is there anything I can do for it? Should I just separate it and see if it pulls through?? I know it's hard to really tell what it looks like from pictures, but it's definitely not walking, just kind of shuffling and probably not able to eat and drink on its own...
 

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It hatched either in the night or this morning, there were 2 chicks in the incubator this morning that I assume are very close in age as they had both pipped at the same time last night. This one is definitely floppy in a different way, not just being new since it's been this way all day and the other one that hatched at the same time is completely fine walking and such....
 
Is it younger than the others? Baby brain makes them act like that sometimes
Thought I actually replied to your comment. This chick was hatched within the same 24 hour period as the rest. I think it's the youngest, but only by maybe a couple hours at most. I just noticed a little spot of blood on its leg (maybe it has spraddle leg because it's kind of sprawled out, but the wings too. And the others were obviously pecking its leg that was sticking out). Anyway I moved it to a separate container beside the brooder with a heating pad and a bit of food and water. Hopefully it'll pull through, but seems pretty weak other than cheeping loudly when awake and trying to move around. 😢
 
Looks like my chick, "Flimsy Mimsy", has pretty splayed legs and curled toes. I'm attempting to remedy the splayed legs with a bandaid, but I was trying to do it on my own at 6 this morning and not sure I got it quite high enough. I also made one shoe out of thick paper for her curled toes (one foot is worse than the other so I'm starting with that one) Hopefully it works and I'm able to help her eat and drink enough while she's having a hard time walking. 🙏🙏
 
I'm sure you don't want to hear this but some chicks just aren't meant to make it. With that much wrong externally you don't know what might be wrong internally. It's not your fault if they don't make it. But that doesn't mean you don't try.

I don't have any experience with splints or such as that, I'll leave that up to others. But I've found it helpful to give the chick sugar water. The chick absorbs the yolk before it is hatched so it can live off of that yolk for three days or more without eating or drinking. It does not have to eat or drink. But for one weak like that if you can give it more energy it might make a recovery. I use hummingbird liquid, you can just dissolve sugar in water. You can get electrolytes or special mixes at the feed store or maybe from a hatchery but I don't bother.

Do not force the liquid down its throat, you can drown it. I use a medicine dropper and put a drop of liquid on the tip of its beak. It swallows that so give it more, maybe until it stops swallowing it. I've used this on baby chicks and even a grown hen once. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. My goal was to give them enough energy from the sugar that they start to eat and drink on their own.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.
 
If it seems to be getting bullied or walked over by the others, I'd separate it. I fixed splayed legs with painters tape. I think it's less sticky than a bandaid on the skin but sticks to itself pretty well.

If you hold a bowl of food up to its face, is it interested in it? Can it lift its head enough to eat and drink if you bring it the bowls? I'm sure it cant navigate to them (but can probably accidentally flop away from them), but what's its interest and ability if you put it at the food? Also make sure it cant flop away from the heat because it might not know how to get back.
 
But, as @Ridgerunner said, some chicks just dont make it, so please dont think it's something you did if this little guy doesnt make it. Theres a reason chickens have such large clutches - they arent expecting all of them to survive to adulthood.
 
I'm sure you don't want to hear this but some chicks just aren't meant to make it. With that much wrong externally you don't know what might be wrong internally. It's not your fault if they don't make it. But that doesn't mean you don't try.

I don't have any experience with splints or such as that, I'll leave that up to others. But I've found it helpful to give the chick sugar water. The chick absorbs the yolk before it is hatched so it can live off of that yolk for three days or more without eating or drinking. It does not have to eat or drink. But for one weak like that if you can give it more energy it might make a recovery. I use hummingbird liquid, you can just dissolve sugar in water. You can get electrolytes or special mixes at the feed store or maybe from a hatchery but I don't bother.

Do not force the liquid down its throat, you can drown it. I use a medicine dropper and put a drop of liquid on the tip of its beak. It swallows that so give it more, maybe until it stops swallowing it. I've used this on baby chicks and even a grown hen once. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. My goal was to give them enough energy from the sugar that they start to eat and drink on their own.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.
Thanks for the advice. I did make an electrolyte solution, basically sugar water with a bit of salt and baking soda. I can't seem to find a medicine dropper anywhere, so I've been going to see it periodically and just dipping my finger in it and dropping a bit on its beak. Its swallowed some but doesn't seem to have any interest in eating food yet. I did end up having to remove my bandaid splint as it had slipped off partly and was no longer in the right position. I tried something else I read where you put the chick in a paper towel lined cup so it's held in the proper position and as it tries to squirm out a bit it's supposed to strengthen those leg muscles. I just did it for a bit because i didn't want the chick to exhaust itself or get chilled. I realize it might not survive, but while it's cheeping away in there I'll definitely try and help.
 
If it seems to be getting bullied or walked over by the others, I'd separate it. I fixed splayed legs with painters tape. I think it's less sticky than a bandaid on the skin but sticks to itself pretty well.

If you hold a bowl of food up to its face, is it interested in it? Can it lift its head enough to eat and drink if you bring it the bowls? I'm sure it cant navigate to them (but can probably accidentally flop away from them), but what's its interest and ability if you put it at the food? Also make sure it cant flop away from the heat because it might not know how to get back.
I did separate it yesterday as it was definitely getting trampled and pecked at.
The container I put it in has a heating pad in it and it covers the whole bottom so the chick can't wander away from the heat.. definitely not too interested in food but I've been giving little drops of an electrolyte solution.. So we'll see what happens with the little one!
 

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