Sick Chick, need advice

[bhale79]

This is our first go around raising chicks. We came home to find one of our cross-rocks that was laying down like it was sleeping. We begin to notice that it would not move when other chicks stepped on it. I poked it and it could not stand up. We took it out and tried to get it to walk. It seems she has one foot with curled toes and seems extremely weak. We gave her some sugar water and food with boild egg yolks. She drank several drinks and ate well. She did seem to perk up a little bit but it seems that her curled toe leg is very weak. When you pick her up the weak foot goes into a "eagle claw" position and the other looks normal. She also looks like she is chirping but makes no sound. Whats wrong and what can we do to help.
Thanks in advance,
Brad

 

[Roo]

Do you have a light on the chick ? If not you need to get it warmed up week old chicks need temps. in the 90s.Get plenty of fluids down the chick gatoraid,water mabey a drop of apple cider vinegar.
Hope this helps.

 

[bhale79]

I have a heater on her and the themometer. The temp is staying between 85 and 95. I have sugar water in front of her but right now she is sleeping. She seems to breathing heavily.
Thanks
Brad

 

[yotetrapper]

You can fix the foot by cutting a little piece of cardboard in a triangle the size of the chicks foot when all the toes are spread normal. Spread his toes out normal, and tape them to the cardboard. Tape it good, they are masters at getting these things off, LOL. A helper makes the job easier.The chick will stumble and fall, but will evenually be able to stand with the "crutch" and walk. Might take a day or two... I did one like that tonight and he's already up and walking fine.

The peeping with no peep though, I dont know about. May have something else going on there.

 

[yotetrapper]

For pics of the boot/crutch I just described, click the search button at the top of the forum here and type in "spraddle leg"

 

[PoultryPedia]

Put a "chick shoe" on her ASAP (Do a 'search' on this site for posts with more info on this). Actually, I would recommend putting one on each foot so they are balanced rather than causing uneven movement.
Keep food and water close to wherever she is so she can easily reach them even when she's not feeling energetic.
Check to make sure poop isn't crusted over her vent preventing her from pooping.
Also check for red streaks of blood in her poop that would indicate she has coccidiosis.
Best wishes!

 

[bhale79]

I will try this if the chick makes it thru the night. This wouldn't make the chick sick would it?

 

[yotetrapper]

What wouldnt make the chick sick?? The shoe/boot thing? No. Ohhhhhh you mean spraddle leg? Not really, but are you sure she IS sick? Or can she just not walk? If she couldnt walk maybe she couldnt drink and got dehydrated? Other chicks trampling her wouldnt have helped either

 

[Roo]

How old is she? For a young chick the temp seems right make sure she can move away if she gets to hot. When she wakes up get plenty of fluids down her you want to keep her hydrated.

 

[bhale79]

I was refering to having curled toes. The chick seems smaller than the others but not by much. Also, I haven't noticed that she had a problem before today but she is with 24 others so she could have gotten past my look overs.