Unsteady / stiff chick - SLW

[2ndTink]

I have an 8 week old SLW chick who has been growing fine but just not quote right for the last 2 to 3 weeks. She doesn't seem sick, she's a little less energetic than the others, but frolics around, eats, drinks, and feathered up just as fast as the others.

Feed: Purina chick starter, rooster booster and electrolytes off and on (always with a separate bowl of fresh water) and the last 2 weeks some Fertrell breeder supplement daily.

Flock mates: 4 other SLWs and 2 EEs all the same age, no symptoms. 4 Silkies who are 6 weeks old, no symptoms.

Symptoms: not super obvious but just enough to notice she isn't right. She will run but it's slightly uncoordinated, if she's pecking grass she'll get a little off balanced and her toes pull up from the ground instead of pushing down. Her hocks seem a tad closer together than the other chicks, like she bracing herself to keep standing. She's not developing her comb yet and she's paler than the other SLWs. She doesn't roost at night, she sleeps on the ground. She's eating and drinking well, she will lay down more than the others.

When I noticed her odd behavior I started offering an electrolyte water or rooster booster more often and the Fertrell supplement just in case it was nutrition based. But with 10 other chicks doing really well, I've been leaning toward her just having something genetically or neurological wrong. Not exactly something I can capture with a photo, but I have a couple below.

One thing I had thought of, I had a broody hen so had purchased the 7 chicks to put under her, I tried to give her one and she wouldn't take it. If it was this chick, could she have gotten too cold in the 15 minutes I was trying to get Juravenator to accept her and it caused some brain damage? Juravenator is broody again and I tried putting her in with these Littles to break her, it only lasted a few minutes because she was trying to bust out of the screen and I didn't trust it to be strong enough. This chick went running up to her.

Any thoughts on what it could be or what else to try?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'd try giving her 1/4 tablet B-Complex daily to see if that makes a difference.

 

[2ndTink]

I will try that, thanks!

 

[2ndTink]

So I had a grand plan to get the B complex into Einio this morning. I scrambled some eggs and took a little bit of that and crushed 1/4 of the B complex tablet and mixed it up with 1/2 tbsp or so of chick started and made it into a mash. She was super skeptical of it, I was trying to get her to eat out of her dish and the others to eat their "breakfast" which was exactly the same minus the crushed pill. It didn't work thay great, she was so hesitant to eat it and the other chicks were so excited to eat it. I ended up putting her mix over the top of the othe two bowls and just letting everyone go to town. I'll see if I can catch her tonight and just pop a piece of pill in her.

One odd thing about her, where the other's combs are starting to get a point outward, hers is a divet inward. I'll try to get a photo.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

LOL She KNEW you were up to something

The extra B vitamins won't hurt the others at all, it may be good for them.

When I give a tablet or partial tablet to a bird, I just take them aside, pull down on the wattles or lower beak, open the beak slightly and shove the tablet or pill inside. They will swallow it. Once you get the hang of it, it's pretty quick and easy.

 

[2ndTink]

LOL She KNEW you were up to something

The extra B vitamins won't hurt the others at all, it may be good for them.

When I give a tablet or partial tablet to a bird, I just take them aside, pull down on the wattles or lower beak, open the beak slightly and shove the tablet or pill inside. They will swallow it. Once you get the hang of it, it's pretty quick and easy.

Yeah, she's very suspicious of me, and I'm only trying to help her lol!

I got a few pictures of her head this morning, trying to show the dent in her head, I'm also posting a comb shot of another SLW I bought with her that has the pointy top as I'd expect.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I wouldn't worry too much about the comb. Unless you bought them from a breeder that adheres to the SOP, then likely you're going to have some variation in the comb.
I've had SLW (hatchery) that had the divot of dent and with a spike, so I'd just chalk it up to having a mixture within the breed.

 

[2ndTink]

Ok, I wasn't sure if maybe she had a skull deformity and that was impacting her balance. Other than her off steps every once in awhile and kinda looking like she walks on her heels, she seems to be thriving. Still skeptical about "special" breakfasts though.
I have a SLW I bought with her that has a single comb, her name is Spike, lol.

 

[2ndTink]

Update on Einio, she still has some balance issues, I think it has gotten a bit better though. She still keeps her hocks close together and is a bit clumsy, but she's definitely stronger. It's a fight to get a good grip on her beak and get those pills popped in now. She has great eye / beak coordination, she can track and eat gnats no problem. The top half is great, bottom half still catching up.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm glad to hear Einio is doing a little better and getting stronger.

When you get a chance, take some current photos of her and how she stands - you mention her hocks (joints?) are close together, is she like knock kneed? Perhaps she has a developmental or bone deformity but hard to know if that's what the problem is. The vitamins may still help strengthen/support the leg problems, so I'd continue with those for a while longer.