Video of 6 week chick with walking problems

[Lochloosachicks]

I'm starting a new thread because I have finally figured out how to post a video.
It's been almost 1 1/2-2 weeks now. No other symptoms. She can't walk without tripping all over herself and falling forward. She gets around but can no longer climb the ladder to the coop. It was a sudden change.
She's about 6 weeks old. I've thoroughly examined her. I see nothing wrong or strange. I can straighten her leg, she can resist when I push against her foot, she squeezes my finger although can't balance on a perch. I can't figure it out and it doesn't seem to be improving.

 

[Scott214]

Well one good thing that i did when my silkie recently had a limp was to see about muscle development in the leg and the limp leg had no muscle mass so it ended up being a vitamin problem and gave it vitamin b and e and electrolytes. But it could also be a neurological problem. I’m sorry to hear about your chick. If you check out my posts raising baby chick diaries you can see how it helped within a matter of days. I also made a chick chair and kept it in there for a couple hours at a time and it really helped.

 

[Lochloosachicks]

How do I view your posts? When it actually happened I had great Ben her layer feed from about 2 days because I ran out of starter grower. Could that be the problem even though she has been back on her feed an vitamins for awhile now?

 

[Scott214]

You can click on my name and then click topics started. there is info on the ones about a limping silkie chick, but the progress is on the raising baby chicks diary post.

 

[coach723]

Many vitamin deficiencies can show with neurological symptoms, so I would supplement for a few weeks and see if you get any improvement. Once a deficiency sets in then the amount in feed may not be enough to get them back on track, you will need to supplement that bird directly with more vitamins in order to reverse the deficiency. Deficiencies can be inherited, or can be from lack in feed. I would do as suggested and give the B's, E, and selenium in particular. There are poultry vitamins you can get, or you can use the human ones. Many use poly-vi sol without iron for chicks, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't have selenium. Here are a couple of links with info which may help.
https://www.tillysnest.com/2014/03/vitamin-deficiencies-in-backyard-chicks-html/
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/vitamin-deficiencies-poultry-rakesh-kumar
You can also search the forums here for 'treating vitamin deficiencies' and you will find many many threads.

 

[lazy gardener]

Agreed with Coach. The fact that you have 2 such birds is troubling. How many total from that hatch? Are they all from same parents? Did you incubate the eggs? Your own eggs? Any other issues with parents or previous hatches?

Ideas: Problem is dietary, either from poor nutrition in breeders, or poor nutrition for chicks.

Problem is related to incubation, and is just now showing up. Not so likely. If it were an incubation problem, I would expect it to be evident at hatch.

Marek's disease. I've never seen it in real life. Do a thread search, and see if your bird's match the symptoms. I doubt if this is the issue.

Could be hereditary. After ruling out all other options, consider this. Your choice whether you beef up their diet and try again, or simply choose to hatch eggs from different breeders.

Recommendation: Check your protein content and mill date of your feed. Be sure both are appropriate. Any feed that is 6 weeks past mill date is loosing nutrients, and may be well on it's way to becoming rancid. Get Vitamins into your whole flock ASAP. Focus on B's, E, and Selenium. Keep in mind the weight of a chick in comparison to a 100# adult if using any vitamins formulated for human use. Dose accordingly.

Moving forward: Condition adults with extra protein and vitamins before collecting hatching eggs. Always check mill dates before buying feed. Never buy it if it is not a recent mill date.

I am a fan of fermented feed. The fermentation process increases B vitamins, and also manufactures Lysine and Methionine. The probiotics from the fermentation process also improve the gut flora. A healthy gut is key to a healthy immune system. Other things to enhance gut flora and immunity: provide chicks with a plug of sod from your untreated lawn soon after hatch, and keep a deep litter in the run.