Wild Chicks Limping

[Eber]

Hello,

Thank you for allowing me to join this forum. I live on a farm in Hawaii and we have wild chicks that were being picked off by a pair of hawks. After loosing half, we caught the remaining four, who are about two months old.

Not knowing much about chickens myself, I fed them too much protein initially. Three started limping on their left feet. I lowered their protein intake and one got better quickly and two improved but are still limping. They are all eating and drinking well but I'm concerned, as the one limping the most is not walking today and the other still has an odd bump on her nose (I've included a photo) . . . .

Would very much appreciate your feedback as to what may be happening. Thank you!

 

[Wezdin]

Welcome too BYC!!!! Not sure about the nose, have you checked the foot for injuries? this Dosent really matter, but i think the breed is a welsummer.

 

[Eber]

Thank you, Barnhart! Interesting about the breed. I just checked their feet -- am glad you asked. The two who are limping have green legs and their left feet look weak, almost withered and curved to the side instead of being straight and pointed towards the ground. I don't think it's an injury but I could be wrong. (The other two, who are doing well, are black chicks and have mainly black legs.)

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

I think it's soo cool that you can just run out your front door and grab some chickens if you so desire, there in Hawaii! Hahaha. Any cool looking chickens you've seen and wanting to catch as pets?

As for the limp, you could try giving it Poultry Nutri-Drench.... I hear it's a life saver.

 

[Eber]

Thank you, Shamo. I will look up that product. We have what look like a mix of Red Jungle Fowl here, mainly. They are pretty but I can't seem to access pictures of them right now.

 

[aart]

Bump on nose looks to be some kind of cyst or tumor..could be fowl pox.
Limping chicks could be a lack of nutrition or a genetic defect.
Hard to know what kind f disease of genetic anomalies the wild population is carrying.

What all and how exactly are you feeding them?
Will you keep them in a coop and run?

 

[Eber]

Thank you, Aart, for your ideas and questions. We saw some a couple of other odd bumps a few days ago and wondered about them. The one with the nose bump is hanging in there. The brindle rooster is down today and can't walk so I think it's something more serious. I looked at his feet again just now and they have changed color from green to more black (will include a photo).

When I first caught them about a month ago, I fed them what we feed our two chickens -- cracked corn with some crumbled lean hamburger to replace the bugs they would normally eat if roaming free. I also dug worms for them every morning.

After a few weeks, when the limping suddenly appeared in most of them, I researched food and stopped giving the meat (almost entirely) and started giving Grower Finisher (17% protein, bought by mistake) and later, Broiler Starts (22% protein) as well as the cracked corn. (They didn't like the Finisher much, or the Starts until I added water to make a mash.) I also started offering a bit of crushed oyster shell, fresh papaya, a pinch of minerals we feed our goats, since the adult chickens seem to like it. We also gave diluted mammal electrolytes and a tiny bit of a prebiotic (Dynapro), which we've continued, along with offering a waterer containing about 2.5 mils of apple cider vinegar. We also pull up weeds since I heard they like the microorganisms on the roots, along with grasses and seed heads. Dirt and weeds are their favorite

In the last two days, I dug worms for them again and wondered if that added protein put the little brindle one over the edge.

I was feeding 3 times a day but have gone to 2 times -- feeding around 7 am and about 2 or 3pm on the floor of our pen (we kicked our 2 chickens out since they are OK fending for themselves). Each time I'm feeding maybe 3 T. of the Broiler Starts mash, 1 T. of cracked corn, 2 good pinches of oyster shell, 2 pinches of minerals, 2-3 T. of papaya, sometimes a little banana along with the weeds, roots and dirt.

The plan was to keep them in the pen until they are large enough to fend for themselves. It was only to protect them from the hawks.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

If they are wild and your are in Hawaii, then they are probably Gamefowl.
They look young to me, so I would offer them chick starter or the broiler starter free choice and not limit how much they get. Poor nutrition and lack of essential vitamins/minerals affect the whole bird including the legs.

If you can get some human B-Complex vitamins give each bird 1/2 tablet per day for a couple of weeks.
A poultry vitamin like Poultry Cell would work too. What you need is B2(Riboflavin) which in in the poultry cell.
You can scatter a tiny amount of corn as a treat for them, oyster shell can just be scattered or put in a small dish somewhere, they will take what they need.

 

[Eber]

Thanks, Wyorp Rock. This all sounds like good advice. I'll plan to drive into town to pick up some Poultry Cell and see if I can find my B-Complex in the mean time. Yes, they are about 8 weeks old.

I appreciate your help!

 

[Kneedles]

Is it possible for you to contact local conservation officials for advice on how to keep the hawks away?