HELP! Chick can't stand upright

[jsuhre]

I bought some blue australorp hatching eggs a few weeks back that were suppose to hatch on the 10th. The first one didn't hatch until the 11th and the second and third hatched yesterday and now the fourth today. The first two chicks that hatched are fine and in the brooder now. However the third and the fourth that hatched can't hold their head up straight and when they try their head goes all the way back and they flip over backwards and can't get back on their feet. Does anybody know what causes this? Will they grow out of it? Is there anything I can do to help them?

 

[fried green eggs]

Hi, I bet your chick has a vitamin deficiency. I had one hatch a couple years ago that was like that but, it also would have what looked like seizures. It would try to stand, flip on it's back, kick it's feet, spin around and shake. I started hand feeding it Grow-gel vitamins every couple hours and after 6 hours it was up and walking. One leg wasn't working as well as the other at first but, by the 3rd day it was running, by the 5th day it was perfect. The chick turned into a beautiful hen and she has had no problems since. If you don't have Grow-gel vitamins you could get some Save-A-Chick vitamins at Tractor Supply and put some in a small jar lid and encourage it to drink regularly. If it won't drink - use a eye dropper and one drop at a time on it's tongue. Good Luck.

 

[jsuhre]

Ok ill try that thanks.

 

[fried green eggs]

Hope it gets better. If you are going to be hatching much, you might want to buy some Grow-gel vitamins. I bought my first supply on ebay in small doses from someone that had bought a bunch and split it. Every hatch I do gets Grow-gel vitamins

 

[ChickenLegs13]

I had 1 that did that in a hatch 2-3 weeks ago. First of all he was a late hatcher and I had to help him because he pipped but didn't have enough strength to zip and the membrane stuck to him.
After he emerged from the shell he laid on his back and waved his legs in the air and flopped around inside the bator for 2 days.
I'd set him upright and he'd roll over on his back again. Every hour or so I'd stand him upright and hold him to help him get his balance. By the third day he could balance and walk but his head pointed straight up and he'd still fall over backward quite a bit.
I took him out of the bator and put him in a box with a few other special needs late hatchers. He still ran around with his head stuck straight up but was able to eat & drink somewhat. After about 5 days his stance was almost normal he could almost walk normal but still wasn't quite "right."
I took him outside and threw him into the brooder with his 40 other brothers & sisters and now I can't tell which one he is.
Important thing is, help him to stand up to learn his balance and strenthen his legs, and help him eat & drink because he can't see where the food & water is.

I don't think it's a vitamin deficiency because he started improving before I removed him from the bator and hadn't had feed or water yet. Once removed from the bator I didn't give him anything but regular water & chick starter. Feeding him Gro Jell vitamins like Fried Green Eggs did probably does help because problem chicks need all the help they can get. I'd say it's a neurological problem associated with being a late hatcher. Being mine was a late hatcher and the hatching & chick debris had been soaking in the water troughs for about 4 days and was rotten and stank to high hell maybe it was bacterial related.