My 4 week old chick won't grow.

[MamaBoot]

Hi I have a frizzle that will be 4 weeks tomorrow that has me concerned. I bought eggs from Ebay and hatched 2. One chick is perfectly fine and growing, I have given it to my hen that hatched 7 eggs a few days after my 2 incubator babies. The 2nd baby has not grown. The feathers have changed and the baby is very talkative, and eats and drinks fine. Aside from not growing the baby has a congested sound when breathing and cannot walk on its feet. It walks on the lower portion on it legs. I have separated the baby from the rest about 2 weeks ago at 2 weeks of age because it would shiver and wasn't growing. After a day or two it stopped walking up on its feet and the feet appear to be crossed.

I have given the baby supplemental heat, vitamins, probiotics, electrolytes, vet rx in the bedding and under the wings and acv as well as fresh food and water daily. One day when I would tip the baby on it's back it would shake its head real fast but no longer does that. I called my vet and he said it is probably Mareks disease, but can they get it from mom before hatching? None of my other birds appear to have problems. I have 2 roosters about 8 months old (I hatched ), 2 peking ducks 8 months (I hatched), one 8 month old hen (I hatched) and 1 hen that is 1 1/2 years bought from TSC. Please advise if you have any suggestions as to what may be wrong.

 

[Helloworld]

Oh thats sad! I am sorry for your troubles. I can’t tell you if Mareks but if it was the other would have been affected. It is highly contagious. The second type of Mareks is very easy to see. The eyes will turn grey and one or both pupils will be shaped irregular. That chick would be gone by now. To me I see failure to thrive because of leg issues but it does seem to be improving. Malnutrition from hen that laid her could be the issue as well.

My suggestion would be to quit giving it stuff. Their immune systems are fragile and so everything you done although good may be overwhelming it’s system. Over-handling also wears them out. Shaking it’s head while on back is probably it trying to turn over. It walking on top of legs tells me a slipped Achilles tendon? That can sometimes be corrected by pushing it back over but I had a goose born with this and it kept slipping so there was basically nothing we could do.


The next thing I would do is go get the other baby because mama with new hen may see as a threat and kill it.

The next thing I would do is look at this thread:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/leg-foot-and-toe-issues-in-poultry-of-all-ages.68093/

I would make it a nice place to rest and leave it be.

And the last thing I would do is NOT buy eggs from ebay. There are many breeders out there without going there
Jmo... I am praying for a positive recovery.

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

Aren't those Frizzle/Frazzle/etc. prone to genetic problems? I'm no expert, was just wondering if they are and perhaps it could just be bad genetics?

 

[sourland]

Chicks that start out okay, grow for a while, then stall and go backwards generally have some of a congenital problem and eventually die or must be culled. I seriously doubt that a chick that age is evidencing Mareks.

 

[kissezmychicken]

I would give it time.. Too bad you only have two chicke.. I hate for them to be alone.. That by itself wont help the situation.. I got confused when you say a hen with a hen..? Dont cull right away..