Wobbly chick

Bfischer515

In the Brooder
Sep 19, 2022
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I got this girl last Thursday. Monday I noticed her not standing or balancing normal. By Wednesday it had gotten pretty bad to where she wasn’t standing much. She’s had vitamins, electrolyte water and been braced with a hairtie and straw(splay leg assumption) since then. I don’t see any improvement. She is still eating and drinking. She can walk a little sometime but uses her wing to help. When she lays down she sometimes kind of rolls onto her side. I’m at a loss and don’t know what else to try.
 

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She’s had vitamins, electrolyte water and been braced with a hairtie and straw(splay leg assumption) since then. I don’t see any improvement. She is still eating and drinking. She can walk a little sometime but uses her wing to help. When she lays down she sometimes kind of rolls onto her side.
What vitamins?

I'd give her 1/4 tablet B-Complex daily, she needs to have some B2(Riboflavin) and B-Complex is a good way to get that into her along with other B Vitamins.

I'd keep her on a hard flat surface, so she can have purchase when she tries to walk. You can use puppy pads on the surface or shelf liner, something that is not slick and that's easy to walk on.

It's Friday and you hobbled her on Monday, so that's 5 days? Often you only need to hobble a chick for a day or two at the most. If she's not improved by now, she may not. I'm not trying to be harsh, that's just the way it happens sometimes.

Here's some tips:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/spraddle-leg-in-baby-chicks-what-is-it/
 
What vitamins?

I'd give her 1/4 tablet B-Complex daily, she needs to have some B2(Riboflavin) and B-Complex is a good way to get that into her along with other B Vitamins.

I'd keep her on a hard flat surface, so she can have purchase when she tries to walk. You can use puppy pads on the surface or shelf liner, something that is not slick and that's easy to walk on.

It's Friday and you hobbled her on Monday, so that's 5 days? Often you only need to hobble a chick for a day or two at the most. If she's not improved by now, she may not. I'm not trying to be harsh, that's just the way it happens sometimes.

Here's some tips:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/spraddle-leg-in-baby-chicks-what-is-it/
 
The poultry cell has all of this in it. That was my concern. Everything I read said it usually only take a day or two and it’s been since Wednesday that it was the worst and I splinted her. I wasn’t sure if there were other things to try. I hate to give up on her without knowing for sure.
 
She’s on puppy pads and has been from the beginning. I had a few shavings in there to start. It’s just weird that she seemed ok to start with.
 
The poultry cell has all of this in it. That was my concern. Everything I read said it usually only take a day or two and it’s been since Wednesday that it was the worst and I splinted her. I wasn’t sure if there were other things to try. I hate to give up on her without knowing for sure.
I would get a bottle of B-Complex. Dissolve a 1/4-1/2 tablet in a tiny bit of water and give her the drops throughout the day until it's all gone.

Poultry Cell is a good pick me up and seems like a good punch for vitamins but if you read the label, that's per Fluid Ounce. So a couple of drops a day isn't going to give that much B Support.

I'd try taking the splints off and see how she does. Sometimes if the legs can't be corrected, the chick won't make it.

I'd give her 1/4 tablet B-Complex daily, she needs to have some B2(Riboflavin) and B-Complex is a good way to get that into her along with other B Vitamins.
 
I would get a bottle of B-Complex. Dissolve a 1/4-1/2 tablet in a tiny bit of water and give her the drops throughout the day until it's all gone.

Poultry Cell is a good pick me up and seems like a good punch for vitamins but if you read the label, that's per Fluid Ounce. So a couple of drops a day isn't going to give that much B Support.

I'd try taking the splints off and see how she does. Sometimes if the legs can't be corrected, the chick won't make it.
I’m actually wondering now if it’s more of slipped tendon than splay leg.
 
I'd still give the vitamin therapy.

If the tendon is slipped, then you should be able to feel that and usually the joint is swollen too.

Slipped tendon can be very hard to correct.

You may find the link below helpful.
https://web.archive.org/web/20220528135316/http://www.poultrypedia.com/poultry-podiatry
Thanks. I have her hocks braced but she’s being a pain about being still in a cup or box. It definitely wasn’t as easy to feel as others said so I’m not entirely sure. It just doesn’t seem like splay leg to me.
I’ll try the vitamins. I did give her a little more of the poultry cell than I have been today and she took it well.
Still eating, drinking and pooping just fine. I’m just not sure what else I can do if this doesn’t help.
 
I'd still give the vitamin therapy.

If the tendon is slipped, then you should be able to feel that and usually the joint is swollen too.

Slipped tendon can be very hard to correct.

You may find the link below helpful.
https://web.archive.org/web/20220528135316/http://www.poultrypedia.com/poultry-podiatry
Well after reading this I’m think it’s not slipped tendon either. I didn’t pop back into place. I just kind of straightened her legs and braced the hock
 

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