Still in incubator. Lethargic and splayed leg

[Ejmaggz]

One of my silkies hatched but it has splay leg and seems lethargic. It has been in the incubator for 24 hrs now. I used vet wrap to make a splint for its legs but it still hasn’t walked. I tried sugar water and it seems to perk up for a second then lays back down. The other chicks went to a broody mom. It won’t be safe in a brooder box if it can’t walk and get away from the heat plate etc. But he can’t stay in the incubator forever.

What’s next? Completely new situation for me.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'd give her drops of the sugar water or if you have it, Poultry Nutri-Drench (2-3 drops twice a day and plain water too).

It would be a good idea to get some B-Complex and give 1/4 tablet daily, this can be dissolved in a small amount of water and drops given throughout the day.

A tiny rubber band can help, but often the bands are too narrow to do as well as something wider.
The article below shows you how to hobble a chick using vet wrap. She may also need her feet held flat, there's info on that in the article as well.

https://the-chicken-chick.com/spraddle-leg-in-baby-chicks-what-is-it/

 

[Ejmaggz]

I'd give her drops of the sugar water or if you have it, Poultry Nutri-Drench (2-3 drops twice a day and plain water too).

It would be a good idea to get some B-Complex and give 1/4 tablet daily, this can be dissolved in a small amount of water and drops given throughout the day.

A tiny rubber band can help, but often the bands are too narrow to do as well as something wider.
The article below shows you how to hobble a chick using vet wrap. She may also need her feet held flat, there's info on that in the article as well.

https://the-chicken-chick.com/spraddle-leg-in-baby-chicks-what-is-it/

Thank you

I ended up using vet wrap to help her legs. Not much change in her overall. But now my concern is she has been in the incubator for 24 hours. I don’t think she’d be safe in a brooder box if she can’t get away from the heat plate. I’m not sure what to do with her to give her the best fighting chance.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She needs to be out of the incubator.

You'll just have to monitor her closely to make sure she's not overheating. You're going to be giving her drops of water every so often as well.

 

[Ejmaggz]

She needs to be out of the incubator.

You'll just have to monitor her closely to make sure she's not overheating. You're going to be giving her drops of water every so often as well.

I work tomorrow so I won’t be home most of the day. I can recruit my husband to help out, who will be home. But I’m not quite sure how to monitor her. Do I just keep her under the heat plate and take her out for drops of water?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

How is she doing?

 

[Ejmaggz]

How is she doing?

I’m pretty sure she is near the end….

She seemed to be doing better but still not good.

Someone else told me in another forum that I should not have been trying to offer water/sugar water with a syringe and that she probably aspirated from it. I think they are right. I think from one of the initial times I put a little sugar water to her beak, that she aspirated.

They also said she was fine in the incubator for 48-72 hours.

All a learning experience, unfortunately. But this chick is not long for this world. So I’m just holding her for a bit.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I’m pretty sure she is near the end….

She seemed to be doing better but still not good.

Someone else told me in another forum that I should not have been trying to offer water/sugar water with a syringe and that she probably aspirated from it. I think they are right. I think from one of the initial times I put a little sugar water to her beak, that she aspirated.

They also said she was fine in the incubator for 48-72 hours.

All a learning experience, unfortunately. But this chick is not long for this world. So I’m just holding her for a bit.

Sorry to hear she's not doing well. It stinks.




Technically, yes, you can leave a chick in the incubator that long, they have egg yolk that they can live on.

But if they hatch already lethargic and with splay legs, can't get up and start moving around, then you either leave them there to hopefully pass on in a few days or you try to see if you can get them to come around. If not, then culling then putting the chick down would be necessary.

Splay legs will not correct on their own, so you would need to take the chick out, try hobbling/splinting and see if you can get the chick mobile.
If lethargic, same thing, this usually will not correct itself without some type of intervention.

While yes, chicks have a reserve of yolk to last on, moving and healing takes energy - food/water. The quicker you can get a chick eating/drinking (and moving) the better.

I'm not sure how else you would give a chick drops of fluid except by syringe or you can use a qtip. The concept is the same, apply a drop of fluid/liquid to the side of the beak and it will roll toward the front, the chick will usually take the drop in. It's tedious to do this, you can usually get them to take just a few drops in one session. But then they refuse more, so you wait a while and go again.

If the chick aspirated, she would have coughed or snicked quite a bit you would have noticed.

So sorry you're dealing with this and yes, it is a learning experience and yes, there will be more challenges that arise as time goes by.

It's worth it though.

One of my silkies hatched but it has splay leg and seems lethargic. It has been in the incubator for 24 hrs now.

I tried sugar water and it seems to perk up for a second then lays back down