Vitamin Deficiency? Something worse? Please help!

[Kryista]

I have seven 6-week old Brahma chicks and this past weekend, I found one of them sprawled out and unable to walk. At first, I thought she (I'm pretty sure it's a hen - they're so young, sometimes it's hard to tell, but she's feathering in like a hen) was just resting but when I tried to get her to walk, she would try but then fall over. Sunday, my husband found her lying on her side. I separated her, but she is still not using her legs fully. She's eating and drinking and her poop's normal. I have the 911 rooster added to her water and I just dosed her with a vitamin and electrolyte mix tonight as well as fed her some boiled egg yolk. When I pick her up, she has some push in her legs, but she can't hold her weight and falls over and seems fatigued. She chirps and when I talk to her, she opens her eyes and they're clear. The other six chicks are fine and don't show any of the symptoms. I only started raising chickens this summer so I'm fairly new. But she doesn't show signs of a virus or infection, to me. I don't know what else to do for her. Do I just keep dosing her with the vitamins and see what happens?

 

[Lillith37]

I think if they end up with leg problems after hatching it’s usually a vitamin deficiency. You could try giving her some human b complex crushed up and mixed with sugar water by dropper, and some vitamin e and scrambled egg. If you wanted to target the riboflavin/vitamin e/selenium trinity particularly, which people usually recommend in these cases.

If you keep her separated out some of her siblings in the area with her so she doesn’t get lonely.

 

[Kryista]

I was thinking about that. She has been chirping here and there. The others are so crazy, they run around, playing, and stealing each other's food. So it might be vitamin deficiency and she may be lonely because she's so used to being part of a flock. I'll get the vitamin b and try the e, too. She was healthy up until this point. And she's a good size, healthy weight otherwise.

 

[Lillith37]

I was thinking about that. She has been chirping here and there. The others are so crazy, they run around, playing, and stealing each other's food. So it might be vitamin deficiency and she may be lonely because she's so used to being part of a flock. I'll get the vitamin b and try the e, too. She was healthy up until this point. And she's a good size, healthy weight otherwise.

Sounds like you’re onto it. Other people may have more wisdom. Make sure she has access to plain fresh water, her chick crumbles and grit at all times still.

 

[Kryista]

Will do. I have her chick crumbles in there with her. And she has been pecking at it. She's just lying on her side, but earlier she was kicking her one foot and chirping like she was getting frustrated that she couldn't move. Poor thing. I appreciate all your help.

 

[Lillith37]

Will do. I have her chick crumbles in there with her. And she has been pecking at it. She's just lying on her side, but earlier she was kicking her one foot and chirping like she was getting frustrated that she couldn't move. Poor thing. I appreciate all your help.

Depending on your set-up and her capabilities you can use rolled up towels/face towels to prop her up so she’s upright and put her food and water within reach. Some people also make “chick slings” which is like a cup & harness and the chick sits in there and can be supported to be upright & work its legs.

Her legs aren’t splaying to either side are they? And her hock joints feel normal? Not swollen or red? No pain cheeps when you palpate her legs? Check the bottoms of her feet for wounds too just in case.

 

[Kryista]

I'll have to check to see how to fashion a chick sling. I'm going to make a separate area for her in the coop so she can be back with her flock. She's been chirping and she'll talk to me and my cats and dogs so I know she's lonely. I checked her legs and even though the left one was a bit stiff this morning, after I worked them a bit, she started having more strength in them and was pushing against me. There doesn't seem to be any inflammation nor any kind of abnormalities on her legs or in her joints or claws themselves. She seems a bit stiff but once I work her out, she relaxes. It may just be a deficiency, like you thought.