Please help: chick not walking,

[kritterdoc]

Hi all! I had a successful first hatch yesterday and it was truly exciting. I have six buff orpington chicks, five of which are fluffy and normal. One, however, isn't able to walk,. One leg is out straight and the other seems contracted, though I can move it gently. Is there anything I can do to help? Chick is vocal, taking water, still trying to fluff up, so I have him/her in the incubator still, but any words of wisdom would be most appreciated. Thanks!

 

[petrel]

Welcome to BYC. Sorry to hear about your chick. If you put "chick can't walk" in the search engine you will see that there are some things you can try. Best of luck!

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome to BYC! Sorry about your chick. You might want to try posting in the Emergencies board about him. https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/10/emergencies-diseases-injuries-and-cures This is an article from the BYC Learning Center, near the bottom of the page there is a section on chick orthopedics and treating leg problems in chicks, making braces etc. https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-101

 

[kritterdoc]

Thank you! I let him sit with support on my hand for a bit this morning before work and massaged his little leg. This chick likes to be held. This afternoon s/he's fine.

 

[roostersandhens]

 

[All Henned Up]

putting a slick surface under chicks like newspaper can cause splay leg, use pine chips under them .
Welcome and enjoy BYC!
Steve

 

[drumstick diva]

He may have had a funky position in the shell and needed space and time to stretch out.

 

[kritterdoc]

Thank you all! I love the support of chicken folks! The chick is getting around just fine; I put him in with the others and he's holding his own. He comes over to me when I go check on them, and he actually likes to snuggle for a little bit before I put him back in the brooder box. They are on well-textured paper towels for now (read about the evils of newspapers!) but will be switching to brown river sand soon based on what I have read. Hatching my first chickens has been a joy. How does God stuff so much chicken in such a small space?? So I can check in on them during the day while I'm at work, I set up a "Chicken cam" using the Dropcam Pro---fantastic piece of technology. I was able to share their hatching and progression to fluffy perfection with interested family and friends.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Thank you all! I love the support of chicken folks! The chick is getting around just fine; I put him in with the others and he's holding his own. He comes over to me when I go check on them, and he actually likes to snuggle for a little bit before I put him back in the brooder box. They are on well-textured paper towels for now (read about the evils of newspapers!) but will be switching to brown river sand soon based on what I have read. Hatching my first chickens has been a joy. How does God stuff so much chicken in such a small space?? So I can check in on them during the day while I'm at work, I set up a "Chicken cam" using the Dropcam Pro---fantastic piece of technology. I was able to share their hatching and progression to fluffy perfection with interested family and friends.

Congrats on your babies and hurrah that your chick is better!

 

[liz9910]

Welcome to BYC! Glad the chick is ok.