Lethargic Chick, Walking on Hocks

[Nate Caskey]

• I have a 5-day old Jearsy Giant chick that has started falling behind. I haven't seen her eating or drinking. She doesn't walk around much but she is standing on her hocks. She is very light compared to the other chicks and is very lethargic. I kept dipping her beak in the water thinking she is dehydrated but she won't keep drinking on her own. Please help I am very worried about her.

 

[Nate Caskey]

Her feet are also very wrinkled and you can see the ball joints as if she is dehydrated.

 

[azygous]

1.Has she been eating up until now?
2.Or have you never seen her eat?
3.Has she ever drunk?
4.Was she energetic up until now?
5.When did this start?
6.Have you seen her poop at all?
7.Does she strain hard when she poops?
8.Does she peep non-stop?
9.Does she have a crusty butt?
10.Did she ever have a crusty butt?

Answer these question, and we might be able to get started.
Meanwhile offer her some sugar water or Gatoraid at room temp.

 

[Nate Caskey]

1.Has she been eating up until now?
2.Or have you never seen her eat?
3.Has she ever drunk?
4.Was she energetic up until now?
5.When did this start?
6.Have you seen her poop at all?
7.Does she strain hard when she poops?
8.Does she peep non-stop?
9.Does she have a crusty butt?
10.Did she ever have a crusty butt?

Answer these question, and we might be able to get started.
Meanwhile offer her some sugar water or Gatoraid at room temp.

1. I haven't seen her eat, but I haven't paid much attention until now.
2. She has all of the sudden started drinking, She is slowly drinking for about 5 minutes now.
3. She was more energetic before now but she wasn't always up to par with the other chicks.
4. I noticed it today
5. Yes
6. I don't think so.
7. No, she will peep when I would pipped her beak in water and then stop after a bit.
8. No
9. Yes, very mild

 

[azygous]

It's possible she is both borderline failure-to-thrive and constipated.

The first predisposes a chick to the second. Constipation can be deadly. It shuts down the chick's system so it doesn't want to eat or drink.

The treatment is a teaspoon of coconut oil, solid form for simpler, safer administering. Pry open the beak and slip a tiny bit of the solid oil in at a time. Have it chilled or it will melt as fast as you try to put it in her beak.

Get all one teaspoon into her. Even if she isn't constipated this oil treatment will not hurt her.

Sometime during the next several hours, if she's constipated, she should poop a big turd and start to feel a lot better. Watch her butt and keep it from crusting over.

Feed finely minced boiled egg to get her eating again. Offer lots of fresh water.

 

[Eggcessive]

Do you have any vitamin-electrolytes to put in the water, such as SaveAChick or some Poultry Cell vitamins? Walking on hocks can be a sign of riboflavin (vitamin B 2) deficiency, especially if her toes curl under. Azygous is right that she may be a weak or failure to thrive chick, but you can try to save her by helping her get enough to eat and drink as often as possible. If using the Poultry Cell give her 1 ml daily plus lots of water by dipping her beak for a second. NutriDrench does not have riboflavin, so the vitamin used should have it.