HELP!! chicken not growing and leg doesn't work right :(

[heidi sausser]

hi. i am brand new to this site. i was just told about it today and am really needing help with one of my baby chicks. you see, my 7 year old daughter hatches chicken eggs. 4 eggs hatched about 5 weeks ago. within the first week i noticed one wasn't doing as well as the others and so i separated it (i don't know if it's a hen or a rooster yet). i quickly got another set up with a heat lamp and such. even though this baby is about 5 weeks old, it is the size of a 2 week old. neither leg works quite right, but one is definitely worst than the other. i would think it got broken somehow and simply healed together wrong, but the fact that it's still really small with it's fuzzy baby feathers still makes me think there's something else going on here. it's a little fighter though. it doesn't seem to be in pain, but does seem to be very lonely as it's constantly chirping until i am about to give it some TLC. finding all that time can be tricky, as i save dogs, so i personally have 4 and i am a single mom of an 8 month old and my 7 year old. i am curious as to what the problem is and how i can help this poor little baby. i was told today to try and put it on a protein diet of hard egg yolk and lettuce. if anyone has any helpful advice i sure would appreciate it. thank you.

 

[SobbaChickens]

It is able to move around though so it can eat and drink enough? I really have no idea (I'm new) but it breaks my heart to hear the issues your little chick is dealing with. Try searching the site for info about giving the chick a stuffed animal, I know I've read something on here about doing that. Gotta make sure the stuffed animal isn't big enough to kill the chick but something that it can snuggle up to. Maybe that will help the loneliness issue

Katie

 

[heidi sausser]

thank you katie. i will do that right now.

 

[Mama&thePeeps]

Maybe it's a bantam chick? They start out smaller and consistently remain smaller than regular size chicks of the same age. I agree with the small stuffy to keep it company. And maybe a mirror where it can see itself and think there are others.