Five week old chick having leg problems?

[Kathys Coop]

One of my 27 -five week old chicks is having problems walking and keeping balance when she stands. All the rest of the chicks are fine She was totally fine the day before and now all of a sudden. I separated her from the rest because she was getting walked on by the others because she couldn’t move out of way fast enough. She seems to be eating/ drinking and having normal poops. My chicks were vaccinated for Marek’s and Coccoditis at Murray McMurray before shipped. The are still in brooder in basement temps are good in the mid to high 70s depending on where the want to sit in the brooder. I was doing a lot of reading and wondering if it was a vitamin deficiency so I mixed vitamins/ electrolytes in water last night to see if it would help. I feed my chicks natures best organic grower/starter feed. Here’s a pick. Any thoughts?

 

[azygous]

Have your chicks been out of the brooder on a field trip outdoors?

Vitamin deficiencies certainly can cause balance and walking issues. Usually B-complex and vitamin E should resolve them.

If a chick got into a toxic substance while outdoors, that can cause the same symptoms.

At five weeks of age, chicks should need no heat during the day and can spend most of the day outside out of a chilling wind and above 55F.

Many of us move out chicks into the coop and teach them to roost at the age of yours.

 

[Kathys Coop]

No they have not been outside yet. I was going to move them in the next week. That’s why I really didn’t think it was any type of virus,etc.
I put the Durvet vitamins and electrolytes into their water last night. Is there another way I should give the vitamins?

 

[azygous]

For balance issues affecting a single chick, it's best to dose that chick directly with undiluted vitamins to be sure it's actually getting what it needs. For example, some multivitamins do not have the strength of vitamin E that's needed for a therapeutic dose which is 400iu per day. Vitamin E oil will also not mix with water.

B-complex is also more effective if given orally rather than in water because it's water soluble. For this reason, you won't see overdosing occur with B vitamins.