# Day Old Chick Falls and Can't Get Up



## Einstein (May 2, 2016)

TLR version- chick flips onto back, poor balance, and has a head tilt. She's had it rough from the get-go with hatching late, assisted hatch, unhealed naval (protruding yolk sac), raw skin on belly from flailing inside the incubator when I left her in there for her belly to heal after I q-tipped it back in. Healthy chick otherwise, pecks at food and random things (especially my fingers now since that's where water and food are for now), poops (looking great compared to when she first pooped), chirps loudly, and stands up. Belly button looks fine, skin is healing.
End TLR

I had a batch of eggs (6) due to hatch on Friday. One started to pip Friday morning, and I'm informed enough now to know I helped her out of her shell way too early. Her (hopefully a her) name is Einstein, it was a rocky first 24 hours, but she is great now.

Her half sibling didn't come out on time. The man I bought the eggs from texted me on Saturday morning asking how the hatch went, and told me I need to intervene since none of the other 5 were coming out. I told him 'no, they have longer' and I waited until Saturday early evening to see what was going on. One chick (Heisenberg) internally pipped, so I left her alone for the night after I capped the egg (per instruction, which I understand now wasn't right), 8am Sunday rolled around, checked on the chick, blood vessels still present, went back to sleep, checked again at noon and blood vessels appear to be gone and chicky is pushing like mad.

Watched her push out, and to my dismay, after I leave her in the incubator to dry off, she flips over on her back and I see a protruding yolk sac. I used this site as my guide, and I eased what was sticking out back into her naval, and planned to leave her in the incubator for 24 hours to let the naval close up. This thing would not stop flailing. I went to check on the naval and saw that she was now rubbing the skin on her belly raw/off, so I immediately took her out and put her in the brooder- I took the pine shavings out until her naval looked good, and she was all dry before putting it back for traction. I also separated her from Einstein, because she's a pest and kept pecking her toes. Taking advantage of a floppy, tired playmate.

This morning I woke up to Heisenberg laying on her back, motionless. I went to investigate and saw she was still alive, and now I've come to find, very much so! She will peck water from my fingertip, attempt to peck at food, walk/flop, chirp up a storm, she even pooped for me this morning (semi solid, greenish with distinguishable white urite).

She would appear to be a healthy, happy chicky, aside from her balance, head tilt (to one side and upwards) and falling over onto her back and flailing, like some sort of sad turtle. Her naval looks good, clear from debris and normal colored, no black button, odor, or moisture. And her raw patch is dried up and more red now, vs fleshy and oozy, so it's healing. The "stargazing" look was observed yesterday after I put her in the brooder. I set her in one corner, and she would put her back against it and sit upright on her tail.

Einstein was very floppy her first day and a half. But this seems different.
I want to know if this is wry-neck, and what the best method of treatment is. I've read vitamin E helps. This chick is definitely a fighter, lots of energy, and I want to keep it that way.


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## MikeA_15 (Feb 21, 2016)

Vitamin E and Selenium is important to treat it if it is Encephalomalacia (crazy chick disease). Poultry Nutri-Drench is a good cure for it and can be found at most feed stores including Tractor Supply Co.:
http://www.nutridrench.com/poultry-nutri-drench.html

Let us know what happens. I hope the little chick makes it.

Consider the brand and quality of chick feed you are using. And get some poultry vitamins-electrolytes to use in the chicks' water.


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