Sick 8 day old baby chick! help!

[Mmayhew]

my 8 day old baby chick (black star) is having trouble walking and balancing. She is very wobboly. She has been given electrolytes since the day of arrival, grow gell and organic chicken feed. I have changed the hay and water in the brooder every day. Seemed fine yesterday ( i have spent hours watching them) but a very big change today. What should I do?

 

[mljohnson05]

Bump!

 

[Mmayhew]

What does "bump" mean?

 

[Kaitie09]

Quote:
ML was just adding a post so that your question would be "bumped" to the top of the forum again.

Sorry, but I don't know what to tell you, I'm having almost a similar problem with my 3 day old chick.

 

[Mmayhew]

Thanks for clarifying the "bump". Let me know if you find any more information about what is going on with your chicks.

 

[mljohnson05]

Does it act like it has a paralyzed leg, or has it had "drop wing" where one wing hangs down alot further (almost as if it will touch ground)??

Also try giving it Polyvsol (without iron) you can get in in the infant section of your drug store. give it a few drops for 2 days and see if it helps

 

[Kaitie09]

Quote:
don't mean to steal the thread...but what is important about drop wing? My 3 day old has that and shes lethargic.

 

[Celtic Chick]

For a chick that small (8 days), I would only give it 1 drop of Poly-vis-ol a day for 4 or 5 days.
2 drops for small chickens, 3 for standards.
What kind of organic chicken food are you giving her? It is a starter chick feed, right?
I hope she is feeling better soon.

 

[Mmayhew]

Yes it is a chick starter feed they are all getting. This is day three and still no improvement. She seems to have little control of her whole body. However she is still trying to eat and sometimes drink. Poop seems normal. I started her on th polly-vi-ol today. Any ideas if this could be a nervous system issue?

 

[Celtic Chick]

It's possible. It is so strange that she would be fine one day & not the next.
I don't much care for using hay/straw for bedding. When/if it gets wet, it can start to mold fairly quickly, especially in the heat, causing all sorts of health issues. But if you are changing it daily, it should be ok. Pine shavings are usually the best choice for litter, IMO. NOT cedar.
I'm assuming your organic chick starter is unmedicated? I raised my first batch of chicks on unmedicated, but now I usually go with the medicated stuff, just to be on the safe side.
How is she eating? If you don't think she is drinking or eating enough, you could mix some starter with some water to form a paste or slurry & see if she likes that better. The combination usually makes it more appealing to them. Or you could use milk instead. Try boiling up an egg & crumbling some of the yolk into the slurry too for a little more protein.