Please help! Baby chick can’t walk

[littlepip]

I got this baby chick from a feed store because she went unsold for an entire week. She’s unable to walk and honestly, the guilt got to me. I decided if she was doomed to pass away, at least I’d allow her to feel loved and comfortable rather than in the bright LEDs of a feed store. She can scoot just enough to get water and food when it’s near her, but can’t stand or walk. I want to help her since the store did nothing but separate her from the other chicks, but what can I do? She’s peeping a ton too, is she in pain? She’s a week old.

 

[nuthatched]

They're not allowed to.
Can you get pictures?

 

[FuzzyDinoNuggets]

There are many reasons why a chick could be unable to walk, pictures would be helpful

 

[littlepip]

They're not allowed to.
Can you get pictures?

Here’s some stills from a video I couldn’t get to upload. Her toes appear slightly curled, however she clearly still has some control over the legs seeing as she can kick them and scoot around if she wants to. Also seemed to settle down a lot more after being in the brooder for a couple hours and is no longer screaming. As seen in the second photo, she kinda sprawls out and wiggles around to move since she can’t get her body fully upright very easily, but at the same time the legs don’t seem splayed. Could it be a vitamin deficiency? I have vitamin supplements coming in the mail tomorrow in case.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Can you upload the video to YouTube or the BYC Gallery so we can see how she moves?

I'd start her on 1/4 tablet B-Complex daily. Dissolve the tablet in a small amount of water and give her drops throughout the day the day until consumed. Repeat daily for at least a week.

Are her legs splayed? Toes curled? Tape the toes flat. You can try hobbling her for 24 hours to see if you can correct the legs if they are splayed.

https://the-chicken-chick.com/spraddle-leg-in-baby-chicks-what-is-it/

 

[littlepip]

Can you upload the video to YouTube or the BYC Gallery so we can see how she moves?

I'd start her on 1/4 tablet B-Complex daily. Dissolve the tablet in a small amount of water and give her drops throughout the day the day until consumed. Repeat daily for at least a week.

Are her legs splayed? Toes curled? Tape the toes flat. You can try hobbling her for 24 hours to see if you can correct the legs if they are splayed.

https://the-chicken-chick.com/spraddle-leg-in-baby-chicks-what-is-it/

Can you upload the video to YouTube or the BYC Gallery so we can see how she moves?

I'd start her on 1/4 tablet B-Complex daily. Dissolve the tablet in a small amount of water and give her drops throughout the day the day until consumed. Repeat daily for at least a week.

Are her legs splayed? Toes curled? Tape the toes flat. You can try hobbling her for 24 hours to see if you can correct the legs if they are splayed.

https://the-chicken-chick.com/spraddle-leg-in-baby-chicks-what-is-it/

I’m still unable to get a video, but I found a few helpful videos that make me believe she has splay leg. After today she seems to be stronger (had her on electrolytes and probiotic) and can hold herself up more on her hocks for a short time. I’m going to dose her with B complex and make a brace from bandaids as I’ve seen online to see if that helps at all. Is it “too late” though? I heard that the first 24 hours are crucial to correcting splay leg, which obviously has long passed due to the fact I bought her at a week old. Is there still hope to fix it?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I’m still unable to get a video, but I found a few helpful videos that make me believe she has splay leg. After today she seems to be stronger (had her on electrolytes and probiotic) and can hold herself up more on her hocks for a short time. I’m going to dose her with B complex and make a brace from bandaids as I’ve seen online to see if that helps at all. Is it “too late” though? I heard that the first 24 hours are crucial to correcting splay leg, which obviously has long passed due to the fact I bought her at a week old. Is there still hope to fix it?

It's worth trying to see if you can fix the legs.

Sometimes chicks with leg issues may have other problems and fail to thrive. Do the best you can.

 

[littlepip]

It's worth trying to see if you can fix the legs.

Sometimes chicks with leg issues may have other problems and fail to thrive. Do the best you can.

What types of other problems? I hope the legs are the extent of her issues, because she seems so full of life and feistiness. I knew culling her was an option but she didn’t seem sickly in the slightest. Her brooder mate has taken a liking to her and pecks my hand as hard as she can whenever I try to pick the injured one up. Braced her legs today and it has made it easier for her to sit upright to eat and drink, although it’s taking a while to get her to figure out balance with the brace between her legs all the time.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

What types of other problems? I hope the legs are the extent of her issues, because she seems so full of life and feistiness. I knew culling her was an option but she didn’t seem sickly in the slightest. Her brooder mate has taken a liking to her and pecks my hand as hard as she can whenever I try to pick the injured one up. Braced her legs today and it has made it easier for her to sit upright to eat and drink, although it’s taking a while to get her to figure out balance with the brace between her legs all the time.

Other problems would be developmental issues or failure to thrive.

With hobbling, you should see improvement within 24hrs or so.