**Update**Polish chick having weak legs issues-Doing well!

[ChooksChick]

I've posted on this baby before, but I'm not as happy with its progress as I'd like to be.

I got it a week ago from a feed store that gets chicks from McMurray. It was in a sick box Friday to Sunday last week at the feed store, but I thought it looked strong and had decent poos and I couldn't leave it there to die...so it's mine.

Phyllis (hope it's not a boy) is super-sweet and will happily be held 24/7, gets along fine with the other chicks (1wk to 4wks) and does okay getting food and water. Her poos are good and she's very alert.

I think she's probably near 2 wks old, but have trouble telling, since this is only my second brooding batch, and I've never brooded anything but BR.

Issue: she (hopefuly) has always been wobbly, but I noticed her gimping a bit Tuesday. Then she was fine and got around after that. She tends to be sleeping and lying around when I peek in, but that's not to say she hasn't been active quite a bit, and I hadn't noticed a big difference, but some, between her activity and the others'.

Today I noticed she wasn't standing and tearing around like everyone else during 'Free Time' out of the brooder. Because of her unique appearance and super-docile behavior, she has been the one of the 7 chicks the kids have always held the most when out, so it ma have been that she would have do so less previously.

She has callouses (that's what it appears, anyway) on the backs of her hocks. The callous is bigger on her 'good' leg, but is present on the right, as well. The right leg seems to be the one she puts little to no weight on, and her left is more robust. I caught her trying to pick at the front of the right hock, but no visual appearance of any reason for this other than the skin looking pink under the down- that could be FROM the picking- could she be picking because it hurts? Hock injury?

She can stand, but chooses to lie to one side most of the time. She will walk over to eat or drink, but quickly gets behind the feeder when playful melee begins.

She appears to be breathing faster than the others all of the time and is not growing at anywhere near the same pace as everyone else, but is feathering out and preening well. She's bright-eyed and interested. It's as though one leg just is weak and she's not growing as well.

At this point, the Ameraucana chicks that just barely have wing feathers are the same size...and I'm not sure how big a Polish with most of her wings fully feathered ought to be.

I'm sorry this is so long- I talk a lot in general, and even more when I'm nervous! I had to put down our other Polish baby Monday.

Anyone?


**Edited to clarify which leg good, bad.

 

[ChooksChick]

Has anyone gotten a banty Polish from McMurray's? I only see they White-crested black, and this is likely a silver or some such...could she be a bantam, and that's the reason for her size diff??

I'm creative when it comes to denial.

 

[ChooksChick]

Im still looking for anyone who has had something along these lines, but I'd like to add that they are on paper towels for bedding, and that it's changed often, kept dry and clean (clean-ish, since they have to mark it the minute you get it in there...)

Thanks!

 

[verthandi]

Even standard size polish chicks can be on the small side compared to many standard chicks. I think I would just treat that hock with a triple antibiotic cream and see what happens. Is there any heat in the hock?

That chick is an interesting color.

 

[ChooksChick]

Thank you so much for your answer! I was beginning to wonder if my posts were showing.

I there any significance to the faster breathing rate or NOW I've noticed she's shivering unless she's above 90 degrees, when the Ameraucana chicks that are obviously younger and sill 98% down are acting as if they are too warm. Granted, they look bigger than her, too.

I've decided to separate her, because I now wonder if it's not some infectious disease I'm ignorant of that may be causing all symptoms?

I'm starting research mode as soon as I can...have been doing required outside work all day and must continue until dark...I'll be checking in whenever DH isn't looking...

Thanks, again!

 

[verthandi]

I have a very unscientific method of keeping the heat at the right temperature for my polish chicks. I have found when they are cold they will try to sleep standing up. Once I raise the temperature they crash all over the brooder in various positions that look like rumbled ragdolls.

I have only had one that had labored breathing and she had a difficult hatch. The fold of skin under her lower beak would actually extend out more than normal. I believe she had heart problems most of her life, but the breathing seemed to straighten out as she age. She was always a little smaller than the other hens.

You said she is eating well and seems alert, is that correct? And she gets around but limps?

 

[bangor777]

I have a barred cochin with the same issues. chicks were all hatched on 2/25. I have a few different breeds, but three cochins (standard) . The chicks are from ideal. The barred cochin is much smaller than the other cochins, she if feathering a little bit slower than the white cochin and much slower than the buff cochin.

the real issue is she is wobbly and breathes hard with any exertion. She does walk around (wobbly walk) but never zooms around the brooder like the other chicks. Today for the first time she actually fell over once. she is very sweet, never cries or complains, but I don't think she's going to make it. I don't think it's an infection, and the chicks have all been in the brooder together since they arrived. I'm not bothering separating her because of this, and also because the other chicks never pick on her. I'm not going to cull her because I don't think she's in any discomfort, but the older she gets the more obvious her 'failure to thrive' becomes. I'm just going to wait and see what happens. Your chicks sounds a lot like my chick. Maybe it is a normal complication? Good luck to you, I hope your baby does well.

 

[ChooksChick]

Yes, Verthandi, she does eat and drink plenty, and actually has had big, perfect poos, never a crusty booty, if I remember correctly.

Today I took all of the chicks outside to play for a bit, and she got up and ran twice, but came back to me and jumped into my lap, to fall asleep immediately. I took her in, because she was clearly done. She sleeps most of the time, now.

I've had the term 'failure to thrive' in my head the whole time.

I've put a big piece of fake fur down on the floor of her brooder so she's comfy and the callouses don't get sore. I've put antibiotic ointment on her hock. I've fed her scrambled egg and given her continuous love. It's getting very sad. I'll keep trying vigorously to do whatever I can to see if we can't get her past this.

I appreciate the info on the brooder temp, because I want to make her comfy and give her the best shot.

Bangor, I am so sorry your have a chick like this, too! Mine falls whenever she goes through the stretch cycle- you know: leg out, then same wing, switch sides- leg out, same wing out...well, when the good leg goes to stretch, the bad leg crumples and she ends up on her side, casually stretching her right wing.

She's a good chick! So pretty! I WANT HER TO MAKE IT!!!

 

[ruth]

Try giving her some Poly-Vi-Sol (liquid baby vitamins/supplement made by Enfamil) get the kind without added iron. Giver her a couple of drops on side of beak till she swallows it. Give a couple of drops a day for a few days and see if it helps her get stronger - usually does, certainly can't hurt.

 

[verthandi]

Sounds like you are giving her a good shot at making it, and that is the best we can do sometimes. I think Ruth's advice would be good for her too. I hope she makes it and you see some improvement.