Splayed leg in three week old? - new questions

[purewellspring]

I have three week old banties in the brooder right now. I noticed this morning that my smallest chick was really wobbling around, moving slowly, struggling to walk, etc. So I took her out and checked her, seemed fine, put her back in and kept watching, and thought maybe she had splayed legs (she was definitely struggling to get and keep her legs under her, and on a smooth surface like the table her legs were completely spread apart). So I've got her bandaged with a bandaid get up so she can walk but her legs are close together (from somewhere online...I had to get my mom to look it up since DH had the computer at work!). She's also isolated in her own little box under the lamp, with some food and water. She looked really poorly this afternoon, but in the last couple of hours has seemed to perk up. She's not really walking, but she's sleeping in a normal position now, as opposed to lolled over on her side. And she did eat when I refreshed her food.

Could this be something other than splayed leg that I need to be aware of? Some sort of chick illness that manifests itself like this? Is this really old to develop splayed leg? Like I said, she's by far the smallest chick in the brooder, probably half the size of a couple of the chicks in with her. But she's always been on the same bedding as everyone else (wood chips), and hasn't been noticeably struggling until today.

Thanks!

 

[Michael Apple]

Take a look at this site:
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/BRKRaisingChicks.html
You are taking the right course. I don't know what your bandage on the legs look like though. The runts often get pushed away from feed and picked on. Keep the chick at the proper temperature, feed a good quality starter feed, and use some vitamins-electrolytes in the water no more than 3 days a week. You may see improvement as chicks supplemented with vitamins have an improved structure. If you put a small stuffed animal in the space with her, she may not feel so alone.

 

[purewellspring]

Thank you! What sort of vitamin-electrolyte would you recommend? My chicks have been on a homemade feed mix recipe from this website, with ACV and garlic in their water since hatching...They've all grown well and thrived, except this one, and I'd hate for them to be suffering from something that I could easily correct. Should I change the feed, or can I find a vitamin-electrolyte supplement that will supply whatever she's missing?

 

[Michael Apple]

Most feed stores carry water dispersable powders in a packet. Sav-A-Chick, Vitamins-Electrolytes Plus are few brands out there. I don't know what your feed recipe consists of, but protein,vitamin, and mineral content should be at the proper levels.

For example, the amount of riboflavin needed by a chick will depend on the age. The first two weeks of life, research has shown a level of 300-350 micrograms per 100 grams of feed is needed, and decreases 100 micrograms per 100 grams of feed after 2 months of age. When fed a constant amount, chicks needed approximately 290 micrograms per 100 grams of feed in order to attain a normal weight at 8 weeks of age. Less riboflavin is needed to prevent curled-toe paralysis than for growth.

This is why I prefer to leave the ingredient levels to scientifically formulated feed experts. Even then, there are good quality feed rations and bad quality ones. The ingredients from which nutrients are derived will give you an indication to the quality. Also, the levels of nutrients. The protein level should be high the first 6 weeks which is why I prefer a 22% starter/grower. Certain amino acids are important whereas others can be synthesized by the chick. Chicks grow fast. Let me suggest a book with a wealth of information on the subject of feeding poultry. It is called Feeding Poultry by G.F. Heuser.