Special needs silkie chick?'

[JessE15]

I recently got a new batch of silkie chicks. All 4 are (we're) buff colored and were picked up at 3 days old. We lost one but the others are all eating, drinking, and darting about. One however is significantly smaller than the others and seems to have a bit of a balance problem. It's right side just seems a little weaker than the left side. It has been like this since I got it but it seems happy and lively. These chicks all seem a bit less durable that my older silkie chicks were at this age. The buff from my first batch was also quite small (compared to the whites) and didn't seem as perky but has done just fine as its grown. I am just a bit concerned about this little one with balance problems. My mom came over the other day and looked at it and thinks I should 'take care of it now while it's a baby' instead of letting it grow and possibly getting picked on in the chicken run. I am reluctant to kill what may just be a small and clumsy chick that really does seem happy and healthy otherwise. Anyone have insight? Does it seem like this chick will have serious problems in the future? I got the silkies more as pets since my one laying hen that likes me is getting very old.

 

[Rowsdower]

Are they on medicated feed? The fact that you lost one already combined with the clumsiness concerns with this one, leads me to believe that you may be dealing with Coccidiosis.

 

[JessE15]

Are they on medicated feed?  The fact that you lost one already combined with the clumsiness concerns with this one, leads me to believe that you may be dealing with Coccidiosis.

I had my older ones on medicated feed and they were all getting very runny poops and not doing that great. I switched to non medicated feed and they very quickly started doing much better and the runny poops became more solid so I put my little ones on the non medicated feed right away. The first one drown in the water dish although the dish is one of the little waterers for chicks. I am not sure if it was sick and fell in or if it just tripped when it was running around.

 

[JessE15]

I had my older ones on medicated feed and they were all getting very runny poops and not doing that great. I switched to non medicated feed and they very quickly started doing much better and the runny poops became more solid so I put my little ones on the non medicated feed right away. The first one drown in the water dish although the dish is one of the little waterers for chicks. I am not sure if it was sick and fell in or if it just tripped when it was running around.

My little ones do not have any diarrhea which I thought was the primary symptom?