Silkie thread!

[JLaw]

HELP!!  My 2 silkies just hatched last night around pm and they are not walking yet. They keep flopping around and one keeps getting stuck on his back and then has to kick around to get back on his belly.  They look very uncoordinated and when they try to stand up they are resting on the bend on the back of their leg.  Is this normal or is something wrong?

Seems i get one of these every other hatch. Normaly fine my double yolker or huge egg one died. Thats LF chickens though. Normaly its a later hatched chick and stomic is big like they absorbed too much yolk. Often wet had one dry to screen last hatch had to peel it off was missing some down buy ok.

 

[MWAFORD]

So should I wait it out or try to clean it off?

 

[chickydee64]

HELP!! My 2 silkies just hatched last night around pm and they are not walking yet. They keep flopping around and one keeps getting stuck on his back and then has to kick around to get back on his belly. They look very uncoordinated and when they try to stand up they are resting on the bend on the back of their leg. Is this normal or is something wrong?

If they were mine..I would put a wash cloth....make a circle or donut shape with it
and put them in the middle for a day or so to see if they become stronger on their own.
I have had chicks not able to stand well for a day or so.............

 

[SilkieMom8875]

Quick picture update, of a young pullet, my showgirl cockerel, And one of the cuties that hatched yesterday.

So so cute!!!

 

[kabhyper1]

Sheldon Cooper II. He is a sweet heart.

 

[SilkieMom8875]

Sheldon Cooper II. He is a sweet heart.

He is very very cute and such a great name !!

 

[MWAFORD]

This is how he is laying most of the time. The other one doesn't lay like that, he lays on his belly but is having the same issues not standing. Thanks for the info I will try the wash cloth idea

 

[kabhyper1]

Once he is dry and fluffy, do hobbles on him and put him in a donut washcloth, or a tea cup. https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/splay-leg-treatment https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/41693/spraddle-leg-splay-leg-treatment-instructions

 

[MWAFORD]

How long does it take for them to fluff up? it's been 24 hours and they still look like that even though they don't feel wet when I hold them. I used a toothbrush and washed them a little with warm water just in case they had some stuff still left on them. Wasn't sure what to do.

 

[kabhyper1]

Keep them warm and let them fluff up on their own. Don't wet them down if you can help it. You could lightly rub them with a dry cloth and help them a little, but they will be okay to do it on their own. Just keep them still. Band aid hobbles work great. just cut a sliver off of a band aid. leave the pad in the center. put a bit of tissue on the sticky part that will touch their legs (feathers and band aids = ouchy) Put them on the chicks legs so that the pad of the band aid is between their legs and you wrap the ends around each leg and stick the ends to the pad in the middle, making hobbles. It helps them to keep their legs together and get some stability. Putting them in a tea cup or wash cloth shaped like a donut, encourages the to put weight on their legs to stand. All five of my babies from this hatch were the same way. They were under a broody though, so they were encouraged to stand up under her, and got over their spraddle legs. They are 3 weeks now and running all over.