Neurological or vitamin deficient chick

[Savannah5678]

Hii, first time incubating eggs and hatching them!!

I’ve hatched 10 chicks and they have all came out healthy! This last chick I’ve hatched seems to be neurological or has a vitamin deficiency or something??? I’m struggling to help this chick. I went to the store bought electrolytes. Pipetted water to it, hand fed it, and now have separated it from the rest of the chicks.

This chick is 2 days old, stumbles to walk, has balance issues, bobs and shakes it head side to side, and seems to just overall struggle.

I also think it has splayed leg, and I put together a little contraption to help stabilize its legs. But this chick can hardly hold its self up and then falls over.

Has anyone had a chick like this??? I tried to upload a video but can’t.

 

[Debbie292d]

Here's an article on fixing splayed legs.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/splay-leg-and-spraddle-leg-treatment.78240/

That first picture shows what we do, except we use a strip of VetWrap. At that young age, it should only take a couple of days. I leave it on all night, then take it off for about an hour the next day so it can move those muscles around a little, then put it back on until the next day.

I would also be giving it NutriDrench or Poultry Cell vitamin water every other time you fill their water or every other day. If you have to go pick that up, also get some Vit B-Complex liquid. If they don't have the liquid, just get the human pills. If you give the liquid, a 1/4 of an eye dropper. If pill, 1/4 of one. You'll probably have to smash it and divide in fourths. Give this chick that once a day.

We hatch hundreds of silkie chicks and wind up with one of these every so often. Every single one ended up perfect.

 

[Eggcessive]

Good advice from from debbie292d above, and I would also clean the umbilical stump with Betadine or chlorhexidene daily so it will dry up. Infections there from yolk sacs can kill chicks in a week or two.

 

[Savannah5678]

Here's an article on fixing splayed legs.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/splay-leg-and-spraddle-leg-treatment.78240/

That first picture shows what we do, except we use a strip of VetWrap. At that young age, it should only take a couple of days. I leave it on all night, then take it off for about an hour the next day so it can move those muscles around a little, then put it back on until the next day.

I would also be giving it NutriDrench or Poultry Cell vitamin water every other time you fill their water or every other day. If you have to go pick that up, also get some Vit B-Complex liquid. If they don't have the liquid, just get the human pills. If you give the liquid, a 1/4 of an eye dropper. If pill, 1/4 of one. You'll probably have to smash it and divide in fourths. Give this chick that once a day.

We hatch hundreds of silkie chicks and wind up with one of these every so often. Every single one ended up perfect.

i think this is more than splayed leg. I’ve had a chick in the past where I taped its legs, and did water therapy and it rejuvenated itself.
This chick seems more neurological… it’s wobbling, stumbling, shaking, like tremors almost, swaying its head all of the place. It really struggles to stay in one place. When it finally rest’s the chick squished its head into the bedding and its legs are straight out.
It’s a week old now and has not really grown at all. I purchased nutri drench, and have been syringing 0.25ml daily into the chicks mouth. I have added a probiotic and eylectrolyte supplement to the water. I gave the chick a IM injection of B12. None of this showed any signs of improvement. So then I bought selenium, vitamin E, and B complex with thiamine.
I’ve been holding the chick up to eat and that’s the only time I think it does eat.
I feel like the chick is in misery, it’s quality of in life is to constantly shake its head and twitch. The chick resembles someone with Cerbral palsy….

 

[Jillthechef77]

@Debbie292d I have a chick that I just splinted for curling in toes, He was pipped for well over 36 hours and membrane was hardening so I intervened.

I was looking at Poultry Cell and Poultry Booster, I am new to hatching and have one I am concerned about too. Which should I purchase to add to their water? Also, can it be combined with the electrolyte packet?

 

[Debbie292d]

@Debbie292d I have a chick that I just splinted for curling in toes, He was pipped for well over 36 hours and membrane was hardening so I intervened.

I was looking at Poultry Cell and Poultry Booster, I am new to hatching and have one I am concerned about too. Which should I purchase to add to their water? Also, can it be combined with the electrolyte packet?

Hi, Jill,

Yes, you can mix vitamins with electrolytes. I do not though. They get fresh the first day, then after all are drinking, electrolytes for just half of a day. Then vitamins for a day. I will do vitamins a couple days later but never electrolytes again.

Poultry Cell is the best and the one most people here use. NutriDrench is very close, and theirs is faster-acting, so for routine vitamins, use Poultry Cell. For sick chicks, use NutriDrench.

I put a few drops of NutriDrench in a small dish with a raw egg yolk and a few drops of water. Then, I fed the weak one on the right side of its beak with an eye dropper or needleless syringe. They swallow a drop at a time, and many soon lunge to get some themselves.

 

[Jillthechef77]

Hi, Jill,

Yes, you can mix vitamins with electrolytes. I do not though. They get fresh the first day, then after all are drinking, electrolytes for just half of a day. Then vitamins for a day. I will do vitamins a couple days later but never electrolytes again.

Poultry Cell is the best and the one most people here use. NutriDrench is very close, and theirs is faster-acting, so for routine vitamins, use Poultry Cell. For sick chicks, use NutriDrench.

I put a few drops of NutriDrench in a small dish with a raw egg yolk and a few drops of water. Then, I fed the weak one on the right side of its beak with an eye dropper or needleless syringe. They swallow a drop at a time, and many soon lunge to get some themselves.

Thank you Debbie. I added vitamins to the water with the electrolytes. I did mix a drop or 2 in with some yolk and gave some to it, I don’t have a dropper but used a small fork and dripped it onto the right side. It appeared to eat some, gets tired quickly, so I tried for maybe 5 min.

Hoping it perks up. I appreciate the help

 

[Debbie292d]

Thank you Debbie. I added vitamins to the water with the electrolytes. I did mix a drop or 2 in with some yolk and gave some to it, I don’t have a dropper but used a small fork and dripped it onto the right side. It appeared to eat some, gets tired quickly, so I tried for maybe 5 min.

Hoping it perks up. I appreciate the help

You may have to do this for him again in a few hours, but really, that does make a difference in them, so I really hope yours snaps out of it! Make sure you offer them wet crumbles too as that even the weaker ones seem to go for.

 

[rbc-bow-chicka]

i think this is more than splayed leg. I’ve had a chick in the past where I taped its legs, and did water therapy and it rejuvenated itself.
This chick seems more neurological… it’s wobbling, stumbling, shaking, like tremors almost, swaying its head all of the place. It really struggles to stay in one place. When it finally rest’s the chick squished its head into the bedding and its legs are straight out.
It’s a week old now and has not really grown at all. I purchased nutri drench, and have been syringing 0.25ml daily into the chicks mouth. I have added a probiotic and eylectrolyte supplement to the water. I gave the chick a IM injection of B12. None of this showed any signs of improvement. So then I bought selenium, vitamin E, and B complex with thiamine.
I’ve been holding the chick up to eat and that’s the only time I think it does eat.
I feel like the chick is in misery, it’s quality of in life is to constantly shake its head and twitch. The chick resembles someone with Cerbral palsy….

I wanted to follow up with how your chick is doing? Did the tremors and other odd behavior resolve?

i have a newly hatched chick i am concerned about as well... wondering if vitamin deficient/neurological in addition to other stuff-- but is still getting used to being outside of his shell for now so letting him kind of stretch out.

Really hope your chick improved.