My poor baby

[LeslieR]

I have a Bantum hen that just hatched out chicks this week. There are eleven chicks all together, 4 had hatched when I got home from work Monday and by the time I came home Tuesday there were 6 more. There were two eggs that had not hatched yet, I candled them, one was infertile, the other was all dark inside, so I left it in the nesting box. It hatched overnight, and was still wet when I checked in before work. when I got home this afternoon, that poor chick seems to be having a hard time, it seems unable to steady itself on it's feet, it ends up on it's back flailing, unable to right itself. When it is upright, the legs are stretched way out front and it can't stand on it's feet.
Is there anything I can do to help this chick survive?

 

[sylviethecochin]

Is the chick warm (cold chicks have a variety of problems) and do its feet look okay? Can you post a picture of the chick? It might just be post-hatch unsteadiness—I had a few larger standard chicks that were very clumsy after hatch. Or it could be something more problematic, such as spraddle leg.

 

[LeslieR]

I have tried to attach a photo

Is the chick warm (cold chicks have a variety of problems) and do its feet look okay? Can you post a picture of the chick? It might just be post-hatch unsteadiness—I had a few larger standard chicks that were very clumsy after hatch. Or it could be something more problematic, such as spraddle leg.

 

[LeslieR]

It’s in the box, the others were in and there is a heat lamp above. It keeps falling over backwards.

 

[sylviethecochin]

Those legs are too far forwards. Do you have chicken vitamins available? Deficiency is the easiest problem to overcome and one of the most common in newly-hatched chicks. If you have a vitamin B complex tablet, I would grind it up and add it to a quart or so of water now. Better if you have actual chicken vitamins.

Also, a chick chair may be your friend.

 

[LeslieR]

Thank You, Silviethecochin. My little darling is doing better this morning. It has a little chick chair I constructed out of tissues,tape and a dixie cup. I also had some savachick electrolites that I have been giving it in a syringe. I had it in a basket on a heating pad with some washcloths to crawl under like Mama. it is gaining strength and standing a bit and walking a little. I have not been able to get much food in it. There is a kleenex on the pad that I have scattered a bit of crumbles on that it picks at. I still consider myself a newbie, even though I have kept chickens for about six years. This is the second clutch of chicks that I have experienced with Snickerdoodle,my little brood hen.
Thank You again!

 

[LeslieR]

Update on my poor baby, it is up walking on it’s own, still a bit wobbly but gaining strength rapidly. Noticeably smaller than its siblings, fitting in and all looks promising. Snickerdoodle is an excellent Mom.

 

[LeslieR]

New update on my poor baby. Apparently my little darling is also an escape artist.
Mama and babies are and have been in a cage located in my garage. She and babies have been fine in this cage, no mishaps. This little late comer is gonna be a challenge. It escaped through the wires and was loose hiding under an older brood cage on wheels , my Dad used to use for his chickens. It was cold, no telling how long it was under there. Temps got down in the 50’s overnight when all this took place. I found my little darling this morning. I now have it on a heating pad in a basket next to me, warming up and resting. I will do all that I can to give it a fighting chance.