Gimpy and Dying Chick!!! What do I do??

[JessOwen]

Try filling your hand with chick starter and offering it to her often.How does her crop feel?

I've tried offering her food and she just started pecking a little by herself. I don't know how to describe her crop it's weird. I kinda feels like she's full of water and nothing else. It's bulging way out but its really squishy.

 

[Isaac 0]

Thats normal if she is only drinking water.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

her crop is full and bulging out. I haven't feed her since last night

I've tried offering her food and she just started pecking a little by herself.

I don't know how to describe her crop it's weird.

I kinda feels like she's full of water and nothing else. It's bulging way out but its really squishy.

Any odor to the breath?
What are you feeding - food/treats?
Do you provide a source of grit?

Is she still in a brooder or is she outside?

Feel the crop when she goes to bed - should be firm and full. Check it first thing in the morning before eating/drinking - should be empty/flat.

Offer wet feed only and see that she is drinking water.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/impacted-slow-and-sour-crops-prevention-and-treatments

 

[JessOwen]

Any odor to the breath?
What are you feeding - food/treats?
Do you provide a source of grit?

Is she still in a brooder or is she outside?

Feel the crop when she goes to bed - should be firm and full. Check it first thing in the morning before eating/drinking - should be empty/flat.

Offer wet feed only and see that she is drinking water.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/impacted-slow-and-sour-crops-prevention-and-treatments

There's no order to her breath and I'm feeding her a mix of cracked corn and starter feed along with the tuna and eggs. I keep a source of grit where she can get to it at all times. She's currently in a cage in my house bc I couldn't leave her with my other chickens. I checked the crop yesterday night and it this morning which is what has me worried because last night it was full and this morning it was still full. It seems to have emptied out throughout the day though. And also in a side note she has started eating by herself for the first time since Wednesday.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Glad to hear she is eating on her own. It's possible she was not processing her food properly when she wasn't feeling to well.

Re-check the crop for another couple of nights/mornings to make sure it's functioning properly.

fwiw - Remember that growing chicks need optimal nutrition. Cracked corn is a great treat and chickens love it, unfortunately it isn't as nutritious as we'd like. A general guideline to go by would be to limit treats to no more than 5-10% of daily intake.

 

[JessOwen]

Update:
She's now eating and drinking on her own like normal. But she can't walk at all. I've been keeping her in the "hammock" I made but it's not working. Her "knees" bend backwards.... I've tried splinting her leg so the knee can heal but nothing seems to work. Any ideas?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Can you post some photos of her legs?

Knees bending backwards sound like possible leg bone deformity or genetic defect.
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poul.../noninfectious-skeletal-disorders-in-broilers
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/1051/leg-health-in-large-broilers/
https://www.researchgate.net/public..._of_the_intertarsal_joint_in_broiler_chickens

 

[JessOwen]

I don't know if you can really tell how the leg looks but these are the best pics I could get. Her leg seems to get stuck like that and she can't walk.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Looks like some swelling of the hocks as well.

If you have a vet that can perform some testing that would be best.

There can be many reasons for what she is experiencing from nutritional deficiencies, genetic/developmental disorders to disease like Myoplasma S.

Provide her with poultry vitamins that contain B2(Riboflavin) or crush a human B-Complex vitamin and add it to her feed daily to see if she shows any improvement.

 

[JessOwen]

Looks like some swelling of the hocks as well.

If you have a vet that can perform some testing that would be best.

There can be many reasons for what she is experiencing from nutritional deficiencies, genetic/developmental disorders to disease like Myoplasma S.

Provide her with poultry vitamins that contain B2(Riboflavin) or crush a human B-Complex vitamin and add it to her feed daily to see if she shows any improvement.

I've been giving her vitamins for a while now and her legs aren't improving at all. She doesn't seem to be in any pain but I can't let her suffer.... she can't even walk to her food or water. I've got a vet tech who's a family friend the I plan on calling who hopefully can help.