Help! -5 week old Silkie with a broken foot and a vitamin deficiency?

[mypantera]

Hello everyone,
I purchased 10, day old chicks from mypetchicken including 8 full size chickens and 2 silkies. They were all vaccinated for Merck. They have all been eating Blue Seal Medicated chick feed since we purchased them. When we took them out of the box, one of the silkies was walking a little funny but we didn't think much about it as she was walking and getting around fine. Over the last 5 weeks she seems to have been doing okay for herself, wandering around, eating and drinking like everyone else, but always tended to be resting more often than the others. Then this Thursday when I looked into their "house" I noticed her laying flat, on her side, head down and not moving at all. She looked as though she had been trampled by the other 9 chickens. She had been like this a few times before, but seems much less mobile the last day or two. I picked her up and she was fine, by that I mean she was awake and chirping away like she always does when I pick her up. I put her back in her house and she took a couple steps and fell over and didn't even try to get up. It seems as she is okay when she is standing or sitting down but can't or has trouble getting up or even trying to get up when she is on her side even if the other chickens are running over her. Yesterday she was able to walk a bit, although wabbly but today she seems much worse and not able to walk or even stand up without tipping over.

I think my poor little girl has two problems, after doing some research, thanks backyardforum!, I think she might have a vitamin deficiency which is causing her to stumble and lay on her side and a broken foot. We took a ride to the local pet store and got her some "durvet" Vitamins & Electrolytes power for her water and have since moved her to a comfy box by herself.

I dipped her beak into the water and she has drank some of the water. I will continue making sure she is drinking and eating. You can see in the photo below how her foot is. She doesn't seem to mind me moving it around so it doesn't appear to hurt her.

Her Foot

laying on her side

sitting with one leg out to the side

Last thing I should mention is she is very small, sleeps a LOT and She is about half the size of my other silkie.

I wanted to see what you all thought of our diagnostic of her having the vitamin deficiency and what, if anything, should we do about her foot???

Thanks!!!!

 

[seminolewind]

The posture she has looks like Marek's, with one leg forward. Laying on their side is not good. Are you sure she's eating and drinking? If she's getting Blue Seal chick feed or any other commercial feed, chances are great that it's not a vitamin deficiency.

 

[oesdog]

Try this site for feet!

https://sites.google.com/a/larsencreek.com/chicken-orthopedics/leg-braces

It is very helpful. Regarding other issue. Your ckick may be in a lot of pain and is just curling itself to try to protect itself especially from other chicks who may be picking on it as its already weak. Seperate this one out. You should try to feed it up as much as you can. Things like a bit of natural yogurt and some scrambled egg. You can give it extra vitamins but use infant vitamin drops without the IRON! You can get this at the pharmacy. It will turn the water a bit yellow. It will help ballance vitamin defficiency.
This is a bit of info on Mareks
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/90/mareks-disease
- you need to monitor your chick for this as it could be what is causeing the leg to look broken. Do seperate it as there is NO cure for Mareks. Your chick is very young yet and hopefully it has not been exposed to this.

good luck with the chick and I hope it gets well! just to say a lack of Riboflavin can cause the chick to stand like that too you get the Riboflavin in the infant vitamin drops so do get them asap and try it! You should be feeding your chick chick feed!
Oesdog - And

 

[mypantera]

thanks everyone,

I do have her separated from the rest of the chickens. She appears to be tired and weak which leads me to wonder if maybe the others didn't let her eat?? I put her back in the old house and turned on the heat lamp again while the others are now out in the coop. She is eating. she was sitting upright and I placed some food in front of her and she started eating like it was going out of style. Hopefully it is not Marek's and just malnutrition?? I am going to wait to do anything with her foot until she is stronger.

I have been watching her for signs of Merek and although she seems to lay on her side with her leg(s) out, she is still able to get up and walk and even run a little, as she did earlier today, on them. My fingers are crossed for her....

 

[seminolewind]

It really could be starvation, and also lack of water. She may be at the bottom of the totem pole.

 

[oesdog]

Do keep on working with her. I found it useful to have a tiny syringe to give water if she stops taking it herself. You have to be careful though to only give small amounts as you can drown them if it get up their nose! I had a chick last year with Vitamin Def and it did act very like yours. You may find the foot heals itself once she get the correct food and vitamin boost. Keep her seperate until she is really srong then take one bird who is friendly and dosile from the flock to keep her company. This also means she is not alone when you re introduce her so she is less likely to be picked on.

Oesdog - good luck! She has a better chance now!

 

[mypantera]

Thanks for the advice and encouragement!! She is definitely at the bottom of the pecking order being she is the smallest, most docile and she did have problems walking normally as a day old.... all that being said, I never saw any of the other birds picking on her or any of the others....

Update... today all she wants to do is sleep. she hasn't tried to move or attempt get some food or water in her anymore. I am dipping her beak into the water and she is taking it in so I know she is at least drinking some. even if she does it with her eye closed.... last night she ate a bunch on her own but today she wont eat at all. I am going to get the kids vitamin's without iron that OESDOG recommended and try that. I will keep giving her water through out the day to make sure she stay hydrated and keep "Trying" to get her to eat.

I will let you know how she progress... good or bad...

 

[oesdog]

Your doing right but you MUST get water into her and you MUST get her to eat. At this stage your fighting for her life. You need to be giving her high protien things. Try to get her to eat a little natural yogurt. ( I know this sounds daft and it is not at all recomended but you know the rice pudding you get in a tin for kids ( It is full of sugar and stuff that is generally bad for chicks) However this was the only thing and egg custard tart that my sick chick would eat! Getting her to eat anything at this stage is better than nothing but remember high salt content can cause her to get dehydrated so try not to over do the BAD rice! It is just to get her to eat something not a recomended diet!

You have to force sometimes - when you get the vitamin drops ask the Pharmacist for a small syring and you may have to gently squeeze the water into her mouth do this at least once an hour!!!! You cannot leave her to get dehydrated SHE WILL DIE!!!!

Oesdog - good luck do remember some chicks die whatever you do. make sure she is not too hot or too cold!!!

 

[mypantera]

Update: last night I gave her some vitamins and sugar water but I had to force her to drink. Not eating at all, even yogurt that was placed on her beak.

Spoke with Maryann (I think) at mypetchicken and she thinks its possible that my silkie might of hit her head?? She also wanted me to mention here that she shakes her head a lot in a back and forth motion and doesn't seem to have much control of her head. The good news is she did actually eat and drank a little today on her own. Maryann also said that she didn't thikit was Merek seeing she is so young and hasn't been exposed to any other birds besides the ones she arrived here with.

I have found a bird vet near me and will be bringing her there tomorrow.. Not sure what else I can do at this point other then keep her warm and making sure she eats and drinks.

 

[mypantera]

Took her to the vet today and the diagonstics wasn't good. The vet didn't know what was wrong with her but said she wont make the night and strongly suggested we put her down. Sadly it was the right thing to do... She will be missed.