- Mar 4, 2007
- 73
- 3
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I just moved my older chicks (3 weeks old, they have their wing feathers in and most of the feathers on chests also) - out to the barn yesterday - they have been in the "brooder" - deep box container with heat lamp - until they just simply grew out of it - they were too crowded and were jumping out. So I moved them to a big dog crate, twice as much space - in the barn. Out of the draft, but no heat lamp. All of the chicks ate and settled in for the night, I put a heat-pad under a towel in for them last night though it wasn't very cold out. This morning they all seemed fine but I didn't look at them closely until I changed their food/water. They all ran over except one araucana baby - she was laying down with one wing outstretched as if for balance, and the opposite foot stretched out. Head up, eyes bright, looking around. I watched her for a while then reached in to get her, she walked away from me but was sort of "limping" - not really limping because it appears both legs are weak or something - she kept going chest-down and using her wings for balance. I took her out, looked at her legs - she is bright and alert, flapping wings ok - all of her toes curled around my finger, she stood in my hand, but when I put her down she couldn't walk right - falling over to one side, using the wing to catch herself - like both of her legs are very weak. I dipped her beak in the water and she had a drink - then I put her in the food dish and she chowed down, ate a LOT as if she were very hungry - but laid in the food dish while eating. I dont' know what might have happened! The crate is the vari-kennel type - nothing bigger than a cockroach could have gotten in there - help!!!
molly
molly