HELP. Maran chick with developed issues.

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FEARLESS- '24
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Mar 27, 2021
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So just yesterday I posted a thread about a Maran egg I was worried about hatching. I woke up this morning and it was out of the egg. But there are several problems that have arisen with that newly hatched. My first observation was that even after she (I don't actually know if it is a she but I am just calling it that for now) had dried off, her down still clumped to her body as if it was still wet. There was something crusted all over her and I'm not sure why. I have had a chick hatch from a double yoke egg once, and she hatched with her down all crusty because of access yoke. But she turned out fine.

My second problem was that her head seems a bit big. I'm not sure if it just looks that way because it is the only thing on her that is actually super fuzzy and if she is just having trouble lifting it because she is still newly hatched. But to me, it just seems like it is a little big.

My third--and most worrisome problem--is her feet. The hen whose egg she hatched from, came from a hatch of chicks with LOADS of problems. We are pretty sure it was because the eggs were shipped to us and we didn't let the air cells settle before putting them in the incubator. There were 7 eggs--one mixed mutt egg and 6 Marans. One chick died before it made it out of the egg. Another died right after it hatched. And a third died a few weeks later from spraddled leg. Of the 4 remainings, only one was a hen and all three roosters were monstrous. So we only had one Maran. We incubated one of her eggs and got a very sweet Maran rooster named Huckleberry.

But back to the point. This chick's feet are folded in underneath and she sits with them sideways. I am worried that she may have a case of spraddled leg on top of the other problems that I am hoping I am only paranoid about.
What is wrong with this chick? WHY?
 
She is trying to eat, but she keeps falling asleep. I'm not sure if she is drinking and I don't have an operational camera that I can use to post any pictures. :idunno
 
And give vitamins, prebiotics, and electrolytes in the water and make some oatmeal or a mash out of her feed with some crushed up mealworms in it see if she'll eat that
 
First start with electrolytes. You can buy some Sav-A-Chick, but for now, this will work well.
  • 1 cup warm water.
  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar.
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt.
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking soda.
Put it in a medicine dropper and drop a little bit into the chick's mouth. Put it in her drinking water.
 
So just yesterday I posted a thread about a Maran egg I was worried about hatching. I woke up this morning and it was out of the egg. But there are several problems that have arisen with that newly hatched. My first observation was that even after she (I don't actually know if it is a she but I am just calling it that for now) had dried off, her down still clumped to her body as if it was still wet. There was something crusted all over her and I'm not sure why. I have had a chick hatch from a double yoke egg once, and she hatched with her down all crusty because of access yoke. But she turned out fine.
Gunk on a chick can be carefully cleaned off using an old, soft toothbrush, and warm water.
My third--and most worrisome problem--is her feet. The hen whose egg she hatched from, came from a hatch of chicks with LOADS of problems. We are pretty sure it was because the eggs were shipped to us and we didn't let the air cells settle before putting them in the incubator. There were 7 eggs--one mixed mutt egg and 6 Marans. One chick died before it made it out of the egg. Another died right after it hatched. And a third died a few weeks later from spraddled leg. Of the 4 remainings, only one was a hen and all three roosters were monstrous. So we only had one Maran. We incubated one of her eggs and got a very sweet Maran rooster named Huckleberry.

But back to the point. This chick's feet are folded in underneath and she sits with them sideways. I am worried that she may have a case of spraddled leg on top of the other problems that I am hoping I am only paranoid about.
If she has spraddle leg, there are lots of fifferent methods you can use to fix it. I'd search around on the internet or on BYC for a method that suits you. Also check her for curled toe.
What is wrong with this chick? WHY?
I had a chick who was extremely weak, had spraddle leg and curled toe, she survived, and today she is over a year old. She just needed some extra care. Good luck!
 
I tried a spraddled leg brace for her last night and she was already running around this morning. And I mean RUNNING. Almost too fast for me to keep up. I put bandaids on her feet to make almost like a shoe to help straighten her feet. She is doing much better
 

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