New baby chick keeps falling!

[TAMMACLEAN]

My new baby chick keeps falling to the right. His legs look ok, as far as I can tell. He looks to the right too. Any ideas what could be wrong and what to do??

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[Michael Apple]

It could be a nutrient deficiency. If so, give some oral vitamins for birds. You won't need much for a baby chick. Don't feed them any calcium. The nutrient deficiency is known as Wry Neck or Stargazing. I wish I had more time but need to get back to work. I'll check back this evening PST.

 

[outnumbered by birds]

I would agree. Give him/her some vitamins like Poultry Drench and see if that gets him going. He may just be weak. Also, giving him some hard boiled egg ,especially the egg white, crumbled over his regular feed will give him a boost.

He looks very new. How many days since he hatched? Is he eating and drinking? Can he see properly? (I've had a few blind ones who could not find the food).

Let me know how he does.

 

[TAMMACLEAN]

It could be a nutrient deficiency. If so, give some oral vitamins for birds. You won't need much for a baby chick. Don't feed them any calcium. The nutrient deficiency is known as Wry Neck or Stargazing. I wish I had more time but need to get back to work. I'll check back this evening PST.

 

I would agree. Give him/her some vitamins like Poultry Drench and see if that gets him going.  He may just be weak.  Also, giving him some hard boiled egg ,especially the egg white, crumbled over his regular feed will give him a boost. 

He looks very new.  How many days since he hatched?  Is he eating and drinking?  Can he see properly?  (I've had a few blind ones who could not find the food). 

 
Let me know how he does.

Thanks. That's kind of what I thought too. I will try the vitamins. He/she was hatched yesterday. He/she does eat when it doesn't fall over.

 

[Michael Apple]

Thanks. That's kind of what I thought too. I will try the vitamins. He/she was hatched yesterday. He/she does eat when it doesn't fall over.

This is also very important to be aware of. Feed can sometimes be contaminated depending on how it is kept.Feed or things in the environment that chickens pick up and eat can contain toxins caused by germs. Too many is bad. The germs are known as Clostridium Botulinum and creates symptoms like nervousness, weakness, loss of appetite, difficulty swallowing, progressive paralysis of legs, wing, or neck. If the chick lays on the ground and can't right itself, this could be the problem.

The age of the starter you are using and how it is stored is important. Feed should be stored in a cool, dry place and sealed up. Something to keep in mind is the use of Epsom salts. Often it is used for this by taking a teaspoon of it and mixing it in 1/2 cup of water and tube fed down a birds throat. I've used soft rubber aquarium hose attached to a syringe with full grown birds and worked to hose gently down the throat past the base of the tongue.

You'd have to use a small dropper with the chick and do smaller amounts as to not get water in the chicks lungs. You should see the bird behave normally after 2-3 days if this is what's plaguing the chick.

Try Nutri-Drench. There's only .07% calcium in it, so I think it should be safe enough for the chick. One drop in the mouth should be all you need. If you don't see results within a day and a half, you might try the epsom salt. If it really was the feed or something in the brooder causing this, I'd think all the chicks would be showing the symptoms. I hope you can save your little chick. Good luck.

 

[TAMMACLEAN]

Thanks. We are going to try anything we can. Our little one is the only one we got to hatch from one batch of eggs so its special to us. Not to mention adorable.