Worried about 3-week old Ameracauna chick--walking funny, bad balance

[allieloveschickens]

What a strange condition, you could try giving her some extra vitamins and protein to see if it will help her grow more, I really don't know what would cause a chick to start waddling and getting splayed toes. Hope someone else has some advice!

 

[Primrose]

Just want to bump this again in case anyone has thoughts for us.
I watched Prim at length last night and she's eating and drinking and moving around...it's not like she's listless, her legs are just super funky. When she walks she looks like an ice skater, and she can't stand up like she used to, it seems. She also can't perch very well as her balance is off. She stumbles a lot, and loses her footing easily.
Still concerned about our little girl.

 

[mama24]

It's a B vitamin deficiency. Give her some bird vitamins. I live a few blocks from a Petsmart, so I just got mine there, but I'm sure the feed store will have vitamins, or maybe you could even use infant vitamins, just check to see if it has B vits in it. I hatched out a few chicks a couple months ago and one of them had this problem. I was dubious that vitamins would fix rubbery toes, but overnight she was better!

 

[Primrose]

Thanks so much, Wendy! I picked up some vites at the feed store and Prim has already had a few sips of her supplemented water. Fingers crossed she'll be magically healed! I'll post an update tomorrow.

 

[mama24]

How is she today?

 

[Primrose]

My internet has been down for three days, grrr...or I would have posted sooner than this!
Prim is still not quite well. We started the vitamins on the 25th and now she seems to have more strength to stand, but she's not walking right yet and her breathing rocks her whole body. She's still eating, still drinking, still alert, still popping, still tries to get around. She flapped her wings today when I took her out, as though she wanted to fly but then thought better of it. She can't keep up with the other birds when we take them out of their brooder (all of them are beyond fine--they're more than twice Prim's size, now, and very very active). I'm pretty stumped. On the one hand, she seems to have improved...on the other, she still isn't normal.

 

[Primrose]

That last note should read "still POOPING" not "popping." Fortunately, she isn't popping!!

 

[mama24]

Hmmm... I'm glad she's improved, but sorry it hasn't been a full cure. Well, I caught my chick's within a couple days of hatch, maybe if Primrose has been deficient longer, she needs more time to get caught up. Are you sure you're giving her enough? I got parrot vitamins for my chick at Petsmart and she was really better pretty much overnight. I wonder if they have more B's per dose than what you got at the feed store. The directions were in a certain amount of the powder per gallon, and then you just give them that to drink for several days. Hope she's fully recovered soon!

 

[Primrose]

Thanks, Wendy. Maybe she needs more....I'll go by the pet store tomorrow and see what they have. Will let you know!! Thanks so very much.

 

[Primrose]

Totally forgot to write an update! The great news is that Prim is fine now! She can fly out of the brooder and perch on the side, which she was way too weak to do before. She keeps up with the other 4 chickens, and even picks little friendly squabbles with them now and then...a good sign, I'd say.
Thank you so much Wendy for your diagnosis! You were spot on. I figure that Prim took longer to recover (about a week) because she was super depleted. But all's well now, thanks goodness!!