Shaky Chick, getting worse... what to do?

[farmergal]

A week and a half ago, I noticed that one of my lav guinea keets was a bit funny -- it had a weird tremble to it. Well last Saturday (9 days ago) the tremble developed into a full-on shakiness that happens all the time except when the keet is sleeping. I've talked to several chicken and guinea folks in the area and no one has ever heard of this before so I figured I'd turn to BYC! (FYI: everything else about this keet is normal... normal poos, etc. The keet will be 3 weeks old this Thursday.)

I have tried giving this keet raw goat's milk (mixed in with feed), whole cow milk (when the raw goat milk ran out), hard boiled egg yolk, and he just keeps getting a bit better and a bit worse... although now he's at his all-time worst, shaking and off-balance and his toes are curling under now too

I don't want to try and fix his feet before I fix his shaking though. Right now I doubt boots would stay on him very well.

Any suggestions on what to do or what caused this? My best guess is some kind of vitamin deficiency. Right now he's in a separate brooder with one "nurse" chick, and water with vitamins and electrolytes.

I don't think I could cull him, he has such a will to live, and I'm fighting and praying for him too. He has always been a good eater, even now that he can mostly just flap around awkwardly to get to the food bowl. Any help would be appreciated! I want to save this little dude (or hopefully dudette, but somehow the ones who take extra work always end up boys)!

 

[jenjscott]

I don't know, but it certainly sounds progressive and neurologic. I would keep up the vitamins. Since its just him, though, it seems that it shouldn't be dietary or illness, or I'd think you'd be seeing it in others. Sorry I can't help, maybe someeone else has seen something like this.