Is this chick behaving normally?

[Hobblesthechick]

https://imgur.com/a/lesJTk1

I’ve attached a video of our chicks. Hobbles is the smaller yellow one. Treated last weekend for splayed leg, curled toe, slipped tendon. A miracle that she/he’s walking.

Up and eating/drinking regularly (from what I can see). Poops are a little on the light brown/softer side… when compared to his two larger siblings poops.

Hobbles is significantly smaller but after 5 days of no walking due to his legs, I expected this. He looks more plump/fluffed up and the wing feathers have come through so I’m positive he’s growing.

Just still concerned with the increased frequency of sitting down. He’s speedy to get up and move (particularly if the other two are getting a bit rambunctious and flap towards him, he’s quick to race out of their line of fire) but I just have no model or judgement to compare his development to.

- Is he just resting more often because his legs are still recovering?
- is he more tired more frequently because he’s still catching up in growth
- his legs look good/no physical deformities or injuries that I can spot
- he’s definitely quietened down, he was SO loud and chirpy last week, but he was also isolated on his own and couldn’t walk, so maybe he’s quiet now because he’s settled and less distressed with his brooder siblings back?
- are some chicks/chickens just more chilled and sit down/sleep more often?

At the back of my head, my main worry (having been through distressingly watch him last week unable to walk and dragging his body with his wings to try and move about)… Is it possible for a bird to gain upper body weight and their legs are unable to support their weight? Am I reading into too much if I think he’s too tired to hold up his own weight?

These are U.K. school hatch project eggs, mixed hybrid chicks, so although I’ve read there can be issues with supposed ‘meat chicks’? I don’t believe that applies here re: being lazy/sitting down a lot/growing quickly etc.

 

[coach723]

Did you treat with vitamins when you hobbled for the splay leg?
I would get some super B complex tablets and give it 1/4 of one of those daily. They are very safe, extra will be excreted. You can try grinding it/crushing it and mixing it in a bit of moistened feed (so it will stick to the food). It's hard to mix in water and give that way, it doesn't dissolve real well, but I do it that way when I can't get it in otherwise. I use a small 1ml oral syringe and do just one drop at a time on the beak, and let it run in the crack and it will swallow. It's time consuming and you may need to give more to make sure it gets enough that way, since some will remain in the syringe, the particles tend to be large. Just hold the chick in your hand and drip one drop at a time. It's good that it's eating on it's own. Is the chick 1 week old? Hopefully the vitamins will help and all will be well. Sometimes chicks will fail to thrive, reasons may be unknown, internal organs can be not quite right, absorption of nutrients can be impaired, and it's hard to know when they are so small. Usually I lose them in the first week or two when that's the case. Often the vitamins will make a difference.

 

[Hobblesthechick]

Did you treat with vitamins when you hobbled for the splay leg?
I would get some super B complex tablets and give it 1/4 of one of those daily. They are very safe, extra will be excreted. You can try grinding it/crushing it and mixing it in a bit of moistened feed (so it will stick to the food). It's hard to mix in water and give that way, it doesn't dissolve real well, but I do it that way when I can't get it in otherwise. I use a small 1ml oral syringe and do just one drop at a time on the beak, and let it run in the crack and it will swallow. It's time consuming and you may need to give more to make sure it gets enough that way, since some will remain in the syringe, the particles tend to be large. Just hold the chick in your hand and drip one drop at a time. It's good that it's eating on it's own. Is the chick 1 week old? Hopefully the vitamins will help and all will be well. Sometimes chicks will fail to thrive, reasons may be unknown, internal organs can be not quite right, absorption of nutrients can be impaired, and it's hard to know when they are so small. Usually I lose them in the first week or two when that's the case. Often the vitamins will make a difference.

I diluted as per instructions a poultry vitamin from the feed store. I used a pipette several times a day for the full five days that he was unable to eat or drink independently along with mashed chick crumb with water until he started pecking food independently. Then he started drinking independently. The poultry vit says to use 5 days a month so
I’ve stopped using it now. It did have all the b vitamins in it too. I wanted to continue but didn’t want to overdo it incase it caused more harm than good.

I’ll go and pick up some b vitamins today from the shop.

He hatched last Wednesday so he’s now 11 days old/1 week and 4 days.

 

[coach723]

If you get a vitamin that is just the B's it's very safe and you can use as long as needed. Sometimes if they are deficient (and that can start in the egg, passed from the parent stock) it can take higher doses to get it reversed. Once reversed, they will very often be completely normal after that. When they are so small, it can be hard to tell for sure what may be going on. Eating and drinking are good signs, just make sure it isn't trampled by others, watch for pasty butt. I would keep an eye on it, make sure it continues to do ok, eat and drink. Separation can be very stressful for them, so I try not to do that unless it's absolutely necessary. Will to live can make a difference too. Hopefully it's only a bit delayed from starting with the spraddle leg, but time will tell.