Weak/ injured/ ill? Please help my chick!!

[AMMS1980]

Hello

We have recently bought 12 gorgeous Australorp chicks but we noticed yesterday that one of them is not doing so well, symptoms are:
- eyes are closed most of the time - they open occasionally, but not fully
- seems to be weak
- is wobbly when it walks
- leans to one side (always the same side).

So far we have removed it from the rest of the flock, so it doesn't get squished; wiped it's eyes with a moist cotton wool pad; fed it sugar-water and watered down yoghurt with some starter feed dissolved in it (every 2-3 hours).
It's currently sitting in a tissue box surrounded by a fluffy towel close to the heat source.

I wasn't sure if it had splay legs, but the more I look at it the more I think it may be an issue with it's toes instead. They are normal on the right hand side - they fan out - but on the left they are a little limp and tend to bunch together - perhaps that is why it is falling to that side?

Does it need a splint or something to help it flatten it's foot out - before the bones and joints are too hard? It will be one week old tomorrow.

I would be so grateful for any help and advice you can give...

Here are some photos of the little one - you can see the difference in the feet:

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. It looks a bit like it has a slipped tendon in it's right leg or a leg bone deformity, which are common in chicks. Poultry Pedia Podiatry is a good website to help with legs, and you can also Google "slipped tendon in chick" for a lot of good links to read. Go get some chick vitamins at your feed store, or give 2-3 drops of baby vitamins daily. A human B Complex tablet crushed into feed or dissolved in water will also work. Right now, I think the chick needs to have water with electrolytes (in chick vitamins) and I would dip his beak into the water today all day long at intervals ro get him hydrated. A small number of chicks with tendon problems will survive, but they need to get around well enough to eat and drink.

 

[Eggcessive]

Here are some links about tendon problems:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...chick-anyone-ever-try-to-fix-this-experiences
https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry
http://chickenheavenonearth.weebly....u-can-do-to-help-chicken-heaven-on-earth.html
https://www.thedodo.com/chick-was-going-to-be-put-down-1725275897.html

 

[AMMS1980]

Thank you for the help... unfortunately our little one didn't make it

Another of our week old chicks also took a turn for the worst and died the next day. I have a feeling that there were too many chicks trying to keep warm under a single heat/ light source. The smaller, weaker ones got pushed to the bottom by the stronger chicks and didn't make it because they were too cold perhaps.
I'm very sad that we lost two babies but I'm happy that the rest of the flock are doing very well.
Thanks again.

 

[Eggcessive]

So sorry for your loss. The bigger the brooder you have the better, and they will grow into them very fast. I only use one light, but have a 4x4 foot brooder for 25 chicks. They outgrow that about 3 weeks old.