Weak chick (picture and video) ideas???

[m2wandc]

I have a chick that seems to rest an awful lot, I had not seen her eat or drink, so I separated her form the flock and gave her some food and probiotic water...then gave her a quiet place to rest...

Upon observation it seems one of her legs is weak, but not easily detected so I'm not entirely sure if that is the case.

She can stand on it, walk around, and even tries to jump on the rare occasion, but I'm guessing it may be sprained? She gets bumped about by the other chicks and generally retreats to a corner to rest.

She is definitely not growing at the same rate as the other chicks, seems overall meak.

Suggestions would be helpful...at this time I have her in a separate box inside the brooder with the other chicks (see photo)

She has been resting all day and I noticed she didn't even get up to poop, because there are several poops right behind her sleeping bum.

 

[Eggcessive]

She may not survive because she is weak, but if you want to give her a chance you probably should bring her inside, and work with her throughout the day, dipping her beak into a vitamin/electrolyte solution. Try to stimulate her to walk a little and put paper towel down and sprinkle feed crumbles on it to get her interested in eating. She needs a playmate, maybe switching one out each day so they won't be out of the main brooder too long. Here is a recipe for homemade electrolytes for today--just feed them straight to her:

HOMEMADE ELECTROLYTE SOLUTION smaller portions can be made or keep part in the fridge

1/2 teaspoon salt substitute
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 gallon water​

 

[Eggcessive]

She may have a sprain or maybe just weakness from positioning inside the egg, but splay leg or spraddle leg is fairly common. Here is an excellent site with instructions on splay leg treament and show pictures of chick chairs for chicks with problems standing: https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry

 

[m2wandc]

It is really odd

I don't think she has straddle legs, because she stands very straight and tall, she walks on both legs, can chicks with straddle legs walk straight??? I didn't think they could...

She is eating and drinking and pooping...but she is not active and avoids the action when the other chickens are busy being chicks.

She is smaller and quiet...she rests a lot...and the other chicks when they want to rest snuggle up to her, but often they all lay on each other and a couple times I've found her under another chick sound asleep. Which concerns me because she is weaker then the rest of the flock.

I have that box inside the brooder and it seems that one or another of the healthy chicks joins her in her box on occasion (different chick snuggled up to her each time)

The other chicks can get in and out of the box without problems, but she can not.

I have been getting her out for a little exercise now and then thru the day...but this afternoon I had to run some errands and she was left alone for about four hours...when I took her out for exercise after that stretch, she had a tough time at first, almost like when you are sore in the morning, once you get moving things feel better....she struggled to walk at first and clumsily tripped a couple times, but then got up straight and walked around, peaking and exploring things.

Any ideas? Do you think she's doomed? Or rest and some TLC will get her up and running with her flock at full steam?

 

[m2wandc]

I will try to post a photo tomorrow...I'm hoping she doesn't get too stiff over the night, since four hours this afternoon left her pretty stiff at first...

Curious, since I'm feeding her separate...how often should I offer the special food I'm feeding her?

She has access to water and chick starter food at all times, but I'm also giving her a mushy recipe suggested by the woman at the chicken ranch.

And at what age do the chicks need osyer shell? They are filling their crops with food and I went to buy osyer shell but the sales personale at the feed store said they were too young still? 1-2 weeks old (3 weeks max)

 

[m2wandc]

Here is a video of her this morning.

She looks good, not splayed...but she is weak compared to the other chicks in the flock.

She is easily knocked over by the other chicks and trips or falls down often.

When I found her this morning she was in her "hospital wing box" and so were about half the other chicks all snuggled in with her. So she isn't an outcast, and the others aren't picking on her, she just seems to be unable to fight her way in for food and water, so if I'm not pulling her out to eat she gets very thin and weak....

I don't know what is wrong with her legs but whatever the problem is, it causes her to avoid the fight for food and water, which then leaves her exhausted and weak and not thriving.

But when I feed her separate she eats and she seems to gain weight and walk around (still weak but not as bad)

 

[CMV]

She is moving slightly oddly. Chicks normally bomb around like they are on wheels. She is carefully placing her feet as though something is stiff or hurting, but I don't think it is her legs so much as something higher up. Is her back straight and are her hips the same height? After watching the video a few times it appears to be something with the right side.

 

[Eggcessive]

They don't need oystershell until they are laying--that is only for calcium which they don't need. Chick grit can be given after 2 weeks of age, then switch to regular grit about 12 weeks. I agree that there is no splay leg, and each time I watched the video I couldn't tell if she was limping on the left or the right leg. Chicks can suffer from vitamin deficiencies from the parents, so I would definitely give her vitamins. Poultry vitamins such as Poultry Nutridrench, Poultry Cell, Save-a-Chick, or RoosterBooster vtamins with probiotics would work. Some people even use PolyVisol baby vitamins 2-3 drops daily by mouth. I have a feeling she may improve if you keep giving her extra attention ad some scrambled eggs.

 

[m2wandc]

Thanks for the positive encouragement...she is such a sweet thing, I hate to loose her!

I have been feeding her mashed up hard boiled egg, yogurt with some yeast flakes...sometimes I sprinkle sugar and or salt on the concoction and I often mix in some non gmo non corn commercial feed so she can see it...it seems she only is interested in food if there is a distinct contrast ..(ie brown rug, light mixture or white towel, brown mixture) when I put the light mixture on the white towel, she didn't seem to notice it, I sprinkled some commercial feed over the egg/yogurt mix and she spotted it and gobbled it up....

I will get some chicken vitamins, in the meanwhile, can I pop open human capsule vitamins (omegas, D, E) and I have a liquid B ... Would any of those help or be ok to give in the mixture?

 

[m2wandc]

She is moving slightly oddly.  Chicks normally bomb around like they are on wheels.  She is carefully placing her feet as though something is stiff or hurting, but I don't think it is her legs so much as something higher up.  Is her back straight and are her hips the same height?  After watching the video a few times it appears to be something with the right side.

How do you tell with all that fluff?

Her legs seem to be the same length...I can't tell about the back...I did notice the back felt boney when she wasn't eating much...not as noticeable now that she's having gourmet meals several times a day...

It is very hard to tell which side is hurt...I think oh yes it's the right and then she seems to give more weight and favor the left, then back to the right...I'm very unsure which side is the most bothersome....I do think it MIGHT be the right a smidgen more then the left, but tough to tell....