sick or injured?

[bigsteve]

1) What type of bird, age and weight: Tractor supply 'red pullet,' looks like production red or red sex-link; ~4 weeks old, no idea on the weight, but she's probably 2nd smallest of the 7 I bought.

2) What is the behavior, exactly. Sitting, sometimes head up, sometimes rear up, legs straight out in front. Will not stand, tries mostly to scoot backwards until she pushes herself into a corner. She will use her wings to right herself is she falls over sideways. Will not resist much if I pick her up (her sisters will jump out of my hands if they can), but does cheep loudly when I do.

3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? ~24 hours? I noticed it after church yesterday, but she might have been like that since the night before.

4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? No. I have 6 other chicks in the same brooder.

5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. No.

6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation. No idea.

7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all. She will drink and eat if I pick her up and put her beak in the water or food.

8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. Normal, vent clear.

9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? Separation from other chicks, plan to get antibiotic from feed store this afternoon.

10) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet? Treat myself, if possible. I won't be taking her to the vet for treatment, maybe for medicine.

11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.

12) Describe the housing/bedding in use. Pine shavings in the brooder, newspaper in her current box.

I don't know if she is spraddle legged, or has some sort of illness... Any ideas?

 

[bigsteve]

Here's a picture, she's got her head on the floor, and her rear pushed up in the corner.

I tried putting a band-aid on her legs, it didn't seem to do much good. I'll see how she is when I get home.

 

[xingxang]

this is exactly what is wrong with my guinea fowl chicks. Started with one, a couple of days later another and now a third. I have isolated them from the other bantam chicks
but they have no interest in food or water - occasionally if I put their beak into the water or hold them at the feeder they will consume. they just lie around in a heap and look miserable.

 

[xingxang]

I am feeding them medicated chickfeed, had multi vit drops in water and now am giving them
tetracycline hydrochloride soluble powder (to all the chicks) but they are not interested in any of it.
I have been online most of the day, reading up about all the various illnesses. I now don't believe this is neurological at all - no
injuries in any form and I think the vet diagnosed my quail chick with a 'maybe' neurological as he admitted he had no idea.
This is some kind of illness but i don't know what or how it was contracted or how to treat my little treasures.

 

[bigsteve]

Well, she got into the water and drowned...

None of the others seem to have any problems, so hopefully it was just spraddle legs.

 

[bigsteve]

Okay - I lost another one last week, and now 3 more are acting sick. They are not as bad, yet - I would describe them as looking drunk; wobbling around a lot, but still eating. Tractor supply says that the chicks were vaccinated, but don't know against what disease... I'm going to assume it was against Marek's, is that the most common chick vaccination? I switched them from chick starter to hard boiled eggs (Easter leftovers) and instant oatmeal flakes, and they seem to be eating more. Any ideas or suggestions? Thanks!