New Chick Can't Walk

[hiddenvalley713]

Short story. Broody hen has four chicks hatch Saturday into early Sunday morning.

She left the nest Monday afternoon with the 4 babies to show them food and water and I found two eggs hatching. One was peeping and active, the other was only very faintly peeping. By Monday night it was apparent the quiet one needed help. Helped it slowly and surely (the chick was HUGE!!! There is no way it could have unzipped the egg itself.) It lived 12 hours, unable to lift it's neck or open it's eyes and died.

By yesterday morning, it was apparent the other one was going to need help. Just the pip hole was there and activity was very limited. We helped unzip the egg first, but the membrane kept drying up so we ended up helping that one hatch too. That was a usual size chick but a very small egg and again, seemed to be so tightly crammed in there, it would have not made it out on it's own.

It is very bright eyed and active, but it can't walk. It's trying too, but it just has no leg strength. It's flopping to food and water and eating and drinking and pooping it out, but it's legs just aren't strengthening. It's very personable, as us humans are it's Mama, and of course, I just don't want to euthanize it. . . but is it a hopeless case for it? Or will some more time help it? Yesterday at this time it couldn't even flop to food and water, now it can kinda waddle with a tiny bit of weight on it's bent legs. And when I pick it up, it does push against me with it's feet today (yesterday it couldn't even do that) Does it just need time yet, to keep strengthening up?

 

[red horse ranch]

Short story. Broody hen has four chicks hatch Saturday into early Sunday morning.

She left the nest Monday afternoon with the 4 babies to show them food and water and I found two eggs hatching. One was peeping and active, the other was only very faintly peeping. By Monday night it was apparent the quiet one needed help. Helped it slowly and surely (the chick was HUGE!!! There is no way it could have unzipped the egg itself.) It lived 12 hours, unable to lift it's neck or open it's eyes and died.

By yesterday morning, it was apparent the other one was going to need help. Just the pip hole was there and activity was very limited. We helped unzip the egg first, but the membrane kept drying up so we ended up helping that one hatch too. That was a usual size chick but a very small egg and again, seemed to be so tightly crammed in there, it would have not made it out on it's own.

It is very bright eyed and active, but it can't walk. It's trying too, but it just has no leg strength. It's flopping to food and water and eating and drinking and pooping it out, but it's legs just aren't strengthening. It's very personable, as us humans are it's Mama, and of course, I just don't want to euthanize it. . . but is it a hopeless case for it? Or will some more time help it? Yesterday at this time it couldn't even flop to food and water, now it can kinda waddle with a tiny bit of weight on it's bent legs. And when I pick it up, it does push against me with it's feet today (yesterday it couldn't even do that) Does it just need time yet, to keep strengthening up?

I would give it time. Do the legs look spraddled? Are they twisted? If the legs look normal then it may slowly gain strength and be okay. Keep us posted on it.

 

[lazy gardener]

Can you post a picture? Are it's toes curled? Progress is good news. As long as it continues to progress, and is eating, drinking and pooping, I'd give it a fighting chance. You'll know when it's time to cull. Some keepers cull on general principle that it's a weak chick, and genetically not worthy of passing on it's genes, but as long as it's a pet, and you don't let it play in the gene pool, you can do what seems right. There is no right or wrong here, as long as it's not suffering. It might benefit from extra TLC in the way of vitamins, scrambled egg, raw liver. I assume that you're brooding it under heat?

 

[hiddenvalley713]

Can you post a picture? Are it's toes curled? Progress is good news. As long as it continues to progress, and is eating, drinking and pooping, I'd give it a fighting chance. You'll know when it's time to cull. Some keepers cull on general principle that it's a weak chick, and genetically not worthy of passing on it's genes, but as long as it's a pet, and you don't let it play in the gene pool, you can do what seems right. There is no right or wrong here, as long as it's not suffering. It might benefit from extra TLC in the way of vitamins, scrambled egg, raw liver. I assume that you're brooding it under heat?

Yes, it's under our chick warmer that we had for our Tractor Supply chicks (that are in the coop now) and on a towel, so it has some "purchase" to grab onto. Toes aren't curled and I really don't think it's suffering. As soon as I peep my head at him and make little chirping sounds he picks his head right up and peeps back. I gave it some egg earlier, so hopefully that gives some additional nutrients.

I actually have a video I'm trying to upload of it.