Really young bantam chick falling on back

[Megane96]

I just picked up 14 chicks from tractor supply two days ago. I didn't notice until I got home a small bantam chick was wobbly. The chick wouldn't eat or walk at first or with others. I took her out and gave her one on one attention and she began running, eating, and drinking water. She acts healthy in all other areas but she fixes her fuzz or another chick goes by and she tips backwards and can't pick herself up. I wasn't sure what would cause this or what can be done to help her. She runs now as active as others, drinks water, and eats, she is simply wobbly and falls backwards on her back and gets stuck. I can pick her back up and she goes back about her business. She can't get up like the others do though. I wasn't sure if the stress from shipping to the store would cause this or if it could be something more

 

[Sagey_7878]

Maybe it’s neurological? Maybe her spinal cord is damaged?

 

[Eggcessive]

This sounds like shipping stress which is caused by not getting enough water. Also make sure that she does not have pasty butt or dried poop on her vent, which may be common with feed store chicks. It needs to be cleaned off daily and dried until it stops happening. Get some Save aChick electrolytes to put in the water, or Poultry NutriDrench and give a drop or two often up to 1 ml daily. Dip it’s beak for a second into the water often, and drop some chick crumbles around it’s feet to stimulate it to eat.
Good luck.

 

[Megane96]

I've tried the save a chick electrolytes and regular water and she eats a lot frequently on her own. At first I thought I saw signs of improvement, but she is back to falling again no matter how much she eats and drinks. This has been so upsetting to go through. Her siblings are thriving and she isn't getting better. When I asked tractor supply they replied "oh that's normal."

 

[Eggcessive]

I would keep trying to help her, but she may be just too weak a chick or have some internal issues that are preventing her from thriving. With a whole tank of chicks at feed stores, it is common to see a weak chick that probably won’t make it. We never know what these little ones have gone through before we take them home. Sometimes they are overcrowded, waterers become filled with pine shavings, and they can get dehydrated easily. I don’t know how many times I have asked feedstore employees to check the waterers or check out so many pasty butt problems. I hope you can save her, but it is good that your others are doing well.

 

[Megane96]

Well I've continued to give them water, electrolytes and they're doing the rest on their own. She's running. However, I noticed she's constantly started messing with the fuzz on her upper legs. CONSTANTLY. Every few seconds she stops and starts messing with both sides and that's when she loses her balance and tips over. I started considering the idea of mites ? She acts as if something is causing agitation and whatever it is makes her weaker than others.