Weak and wobbly chick- advice please

[abby hen]

My 8 days old White Rock chick has been weak and very unbalanced since I bought her 3 days ago. She eats and drinks a little, but not like the five healthy chicks I bought her with. She tends to shake, almost like she is lightly seizuring and often seems confused. I can't tell whether she is possibly brain damaged or just malnourished/ physically weak, but she does seem slow. She's so dear, and I would really like to try giving her a booster that could strengthen her in case it helps. Can you please advise what is appropriate at her age? I have seen cod liver oil and various vitamin boosters mentioned-- but not knowing the cause of her ailment, nor what is appropriate at her young age, I'm not sure where to start. I've tried feeding her cooked egg yoke as well as fresh yogurt, but she will only eat when she chooses to and hasn't touched those. I haven't separated her from the others as she likes to lay with them and her symptom's don't appear to be disease-related. The most obvious ailments/symptoms are her occasional shaking fits, confusion, unbalanced walk, and after bursts of energy she likes to lay down and roll/ tuck her head. She is not without energy or fiestyness.

Any thoughts/ suggestions would be really appreciated.

Thank you.

 

[Erica]

Hi abby hen,

Brain damage is possible, but vitamin deficiency is perhaps more likely to be the underlying cause (vitamin deficiencies can sometimes be passed down through the egg, as when parents aren't well nourished). As well, being a white rock the bird probably needed more vitamins than the other chicks, and may not have been getting them (deficiencies show up first in larger or faster growing birds).

I'd suggest focusing on getting her to eat properly. You may need to moisten the food and give her rolled pellets of it directly in the mouth. Adding soured milk or yoghurt to the food might help.

There are a few disease possibilities, so others might be able to advise on whether or not to separate her. I'm not sure I would, at this stage.

cheers
Erica

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/pou..._poultry/vitamin_deficiencies_in_poultry.html
look under thiamine

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/9/avian-encephalomyelitis-epidemic-tremors
I have no clue if this disease is even common or possible these days...so take with a grain of salt.

Sorry these are the only ones I can remember for now.....

http://www.apa-abayouthpoultryclub.... SYMPTOMS FOR DIAGNOSING POULTRY DISEASES.pdf

one more page....

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/6/diseases-of-poultry/218/vitamin-e-deficiency
here is another page

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/6/diseases-of-poultry/216/vitamin-bi-deficiency

 

[abby hen]

Hi, thank you so much Erica and ChickensAreSweet. I will go to the farm store and try to buy some vitamin boosters-- Do you think that is that my best option, and to give it to her hopefully in liquid form, via dropper? Erica, I struggle to get her to eat pellets on command, so I'm hoping a liquid booster might be ok? Is it best to buy one of the normal chick vitamin boosters, or is it better to use vitamins crushed up from a shop? I'd be wary about how much to use. ChickensAreSweet, the thiamine sounds like it could be a contestant. Saying that, I've spent way too much time reading about scary diseases and causes and suppose I should just start with a booster and stop scaring myself!

Thank you again, it's a big help.

Abby