Just hatched baby Serama chick having motor difficulties- can it be helped?

[chickcrack]

I had a little OEGB that hatched with wry neck. He couldn't stand for the first week and a half of his life because his head flipped onto his back and he would fall over. I had to feed him mostly chick food soaked and liquefied in a blender then strained again through finest sieve I could find. I then gave this with a syringe with his meds mixed in (vitamin E, B complex, selenium and children's polyvisol without iron). Just make sure nutrition drench contains all of that as I'm not sure. Once he started to be able to stand I found that crumbles on a dark carpet or towel were easier for him than a bowl (no idea why). He also did that twitch/seizure/drunk routine. If drinking is an issue try cucumber, watermelon to supplement. This also seemed to help with muscle tone for better pecking aim! Wishing you the best...she is adorable

 

[Bocktobery 10]

Hey thanks chickcrack,

She seems to be doing better, but then again.. hard to tell. Yeah, checked the nutridrench bottle... no b complex or selenium.. There is brewers yeast in the chick hand feeding formula I'm feeding her though- would that be the b-complex? There is also ground flax seed in there. I see no mention of selenium though. Perhaps I should go get some? Do you give only a small amount after crumbling the pill? Can they overdose?!

Anyway, she is eating for me now- seemed to have gotten the hang of it much better. When I pick her up her head is already bobbing to get food. I'm not sure how much she is eating which worries me. I think she tires out- and I don't have all day to wait, so it make it difficult. I understand about the dark carpet and the crumbles... she isnt' there yet, but I did read online that the crumbles (food) has to stand out in contrast to the floor.. All this makes me wonder if there is a bit of blindness going on too? But not the kind where they can't see at all, just maybe everything is very blurry to them. Poor things. Her twitch looks like it has got to ache her neck muscles.

Anyway, we'll see.

Did your chick make it? You didn't say. I'm hoping he pulled through. It is a lot of work.

One somewhat irrelevant question- one about seramas- can anyone tell me what type of coloring she will have when she is older? I know nothing about coloring and Seramas.

 

[BoomChickaPop]

I NEVER use medicated chick starter. It has harmful stuff in it that I just DON'T trust. I hope she gets better.
I would use Diatomaceous Earth(DE) cause it is natural and not harmful. She probably doesn't have mites or parasites, cause she is just a chick. Is she living in the house?

-BCP

 

[BoomChickaPop]

Hey thanks chickcrack,

She seems to be doing better, but then again.. hard to tell. Yeah, checked the nutridrench bottle... no b complex or selenium.. There is brewers yeast in the chick hand feeding formula I'm feeding her though- would that be the b-complex? There is also ground flax seed in there. I see no mention of selenium though. Perhaps I should go get some? Do you give only a small amount after crumbling the pill? Can they overdose?!

Anyway, she is eating for me now- seemed to have gotten the hang of it much better. When I pick her up her head is already bobbing to get food. I'm not sure how much she is eating which worries me. I think she tires out- and I don't have all day to wait, so it make it difficult. I understand about the dark carpet and the crumbles... she isnt' there yet, but I did read online that the crumbles (food) has to stand out in contrast to the floor.. All this makes me wonder if there is a bit of blindness going on too? But not the kind where they can't see at all, just maybe everything is very blurry to them. Poor things. Her twitch looks like it has got to ache her neck muscles.

Anyway, we'll see.

Did your chick make it? You didn't say. I'm hoping he pulled through. It is a lot of work.

One somewhat irrelevant question- one about seramas- can anyone tell me what type of coloring she will have when she is older? I know nothing about coloring and Seramas.

How you can tell if she has eaten enough, is by checking her crop. Her crop is right under her neck. When she has eaten enough, it should be nice and round. Then you know that she has eaten.
It is kinds hard to tell what color she will be, cause she could be white, brown, or a mixture of colors. Her feathers would have to come in more to be sure.

-BCP

 

[chickcrack]

That's him! A year old just recently. He does still seem to have "aiming issues" and he has never flown or jumped up more than a foot which is very unlike his breed. But he eats on his own and is a complete suck. If you can add some ground sunflower seeds into food it is a natural source of selenium. Mine wouldn't eat them so I gave 1/2 50mcg tab crushed into food. It is needed to absorb vitamin E.

 

[BoomChickaPop]

That's him! A year old just recently. He does still seem to have "aiming issues" and he has never flown or jumped up more than a foot which is very unlike his breed. But he eats on his own and is a complete suck. If you can add some ground sunflower seeds into food it is a natural source of selenium. Mine wouldn't eat them so I gave 1/2 50mcg tab crushed into food. It is needed to absorb vitamin E.

he's gorgeous! Congrats!

-BCP

 

[Bocktobery 10]

yes, agreed about the crop..., but she also has that air pocket, which if I touch, she lets out a loud peep, so I can't really tell if she is full. It is full of air- either the crop or the air sac, not sure. I let her take a few nibbles for about 8 minutes on every hour- she seems to get tired and so I let her rest.

Thank you for the color advice. I guess with seramas, from what I read, you never know what you are going to get.

 

[Bocktobery 10]

I NEVER use medicated chick starter. It has harmful stuff in it that I just DON'T trust. I hope she gets better.
I would use Diatomaceous Earth(DE) cause it is natural and not harmful. She probably doesn't have mites or parasites, cause she is just a chick. Is she living in the house?

-BCP

I have heard that before about the medicated feed.. I guess I just don't know what else to use. I did see a bag of non medicated chick starter at the store the other day but had already bought what I have now... I will be sure to switch over to the non-medicated.

She was hatched out in the coop and had been out there for about 24 hours until I brought them all in (too hot outside- plus mamma hen has been under stress- she was rather emaciated and I didn't want her having to deal with heat as well. She was not leaving the nest for food or water at all.) The mamma hen and babies are out in the coop again, but she was not taking care of this little one anymore, so I brought her inside. I feared she would get cold and die, plus she needed help finding food. She just stands and wobbles.

Its possible she could have picked up a parasite, but I still have not found anything crawling on me or anything giving any indication of a mite or parasite. I will probably give her a bit of dust anyway. I know my birds are due for a puff of DE under their wings and bottom.

 

[Bocktobery 10]

That's him! A year old just recently. He does still seem to have "aiming issues" and he has never flown or jumped up more than a foot which is very unlike his breed. But he eats on his own and is a complete suck. If you can add some ground sunflower seeds into food it is a natural source of selenium. Mine wouldn't eat them so I gave 1/2 50mcg tab crushed into food. It is needed to absorb vitamin E.

What a cutie!!! (and not just cute but beautiful plumage I must say! Gorgeous!) Is he rather close to you since you spent all that time nursing him back to health?

Thanks also for the tip on sunflower seeds... I have some, but they are salted... can I rinse the salt off and then grind them up to give to the chick? I will have to go get some selenium tabs.

 

[casportpony]

How's the chick doing?

-Kathy