Update: Limping 5 day old chick Petunia * PICTURES & INFO ADDED

[hennypennysmom]

New chick mama here: 4 baby "assorted feather leg" babies on Friday, 4 more Plymouth Rocks tomorrow.

Petunia, (who looks like a baby penguin the kids think), the fluffiest and cutest one (don't tell the other girls) has gone from fairly normal/active to limping today. She seems to be the gentlest one of the bunch, but maybe there's something wrong with her that's making her act this way.

Read about PolyViSol (without iron), and gave her some. I'm afraid I'm not very good at that though, and got some on the top of her head! But she did get some in her mouth. I also read about Vitamin E and have some of that, but don't want to traumatize her too much right now.

Should I be putting that PolyViSol in their water? Or is the medicated chick starter sufficient?

Is there anything else I can do for this little girl? She is limping over to eat, and drink. Should she be away from the others?

Also - is there anything else we should have in our "baby chick" box of tricks? We have PolyViSol and Vitamin E. Someone mentioned giving them mashed eggs - they are on medicated chick starter.

The kids are super attached to them so I'm really hoping that they all make it...

Kara

 

[debilorrah]

The first you need to do is take her and hold her on her back so she is still and very carefully check her feet - for sores, pecked parts, curled toes, straight legs, etc. I am pretty sure you will find something.

 

[hennypennysmom]

OK - thanks for the direction. I did go out and look at her feet. Actually took some pics which I'll post incase someone else is having the same problem.

Left leg/foot - it's appears to be sort of limp and claws are closed - like if your thumb was touching your pinky. In the pics, it looks like that foot is smaller, but it's just not stretched out like the other foot.

She was walking fine until this morning.

Here's what she CAN do with that leg/foot:

* scratches her head
* stretches it out in back of her
* sort of puts it down briefly so she can hop
* retracts it up close to her

Here's some info about the chicks:

*brought home Friday - in brooder w/3 others doing fine
*assorted feather legs (that's what they are called)
*starter/medicated food - fresh water each day
*gave her a drop of PolyViSol this morning (that's what's over her eye)
*too warm 1st night, but now a constant 90-95 degrees
*red heat lamp

She is eating and drinking, but is quiet and resting a lot. When she sits down, she sort of rests on that same side wing. She's been picked on a bit by another more dominant chick, but I just saw her defend herself pretty well.

There is nothing apparent that I see - again it's the left leg/foot. She's SUCH a sweet little girl.