Worried About Chick

[ChickenCrazy00]

I have a chick with a splayed leg. She's only a few days old, so I thought it would be easy to treat. I used flexible horse injury bandage to keep her legs together, kind of like a flexible bandaid. What I'm concerned about is this: she sleeps almost constantly! When I pick her up she will struggle a decent amount, but when I hold her or put her back in her little box, she fall asleep again immediately. I am worried that she won't get enough food or water when I'm not there. Is this normal for a healing chick? Or is something else wrong with her? I know chicks sleep a ton, but I've never seen one like this! I've been making her drink about every fifteen or so minutes, and she will drink some willingly. I've put some sugar in her water like the hatchery instructions said to do. Help!

 

[Abriana]

It sounds like maybe she has spraddle leg. Make sure the bedding is thick so that the other chicks can't slip and get it also, and don't use newspaper, cardboard, or plastic to line the brooder box. these are all slippery and can cause spraddle leg. You can tape the legs, like you did, for a few days. I don't know about her not eating or drinking, but she seems strong because she struggles. I had a sleepy chick who wasn't really eating or drinking and she died a few days later. Sometimes a chick is just unwell and there isn't anything you can do about it. You can put electrolytes and probiotics in her water to help.