Raising baby chicks into adulthood is a milestone that many chick raisers hope to accomplish, but a baby bird showing signs of being ill or distressed would be concerning to any chick raiser.
A baby chick acting drunk would be concerning. This article looks into why your baby chick may be acting drunk
Table of Contents
Baby chick acting drunk:
Humans act drunk but this behavior in chicks is quite odd and unusual. Figuring out why your baby chick is doing this, and addressing the issue, is of the utmost importance.
This is why your baby chick may be acting drunk:
Getting used to legs:
Chicks come out of their shells ready to walk and run around but their legs need to get used to walking, because of this the birds may stumble around acting as though they are drunk.
What to do:
This is quite normal and many little birds go through this, the bird should be able to find its feet soon enough and get used to walking, once the bird is used to walking it won’t act drunk anymore.
Vitamin deficiency:
Young growing chicks need all the vitamins they can get, if your bird is lacking in any of its essential vitamins then the bird may start to act strange.
One strange behavior that a bird with a vitamin deficiency will display is staggering or walking like it is drunk.
A thiamine deficiency will also cause the bird to lose balance and coordination which will cause it to walk like it is drunk.
A vitamin E or selenium deficiency can lead to neurological problems which can cause the bird to stagger and act drunk
What to do:
You could try to treat the bird at home or you could try to take the bird to the vet for treatment.
If you choose to treat the bird at home then give the bird a vitamin supplement. Also, making sure that the bird has all the food that it needs is a must.
Giving the bird nuti-drench for poultry, or chick vitamins, may help with your bird’s condition. Giving the bird molasses to boost its energy may also be helpful.
Inner ear infection:
Your baby chick’s ears may be very well hidden but baby chicks do in fact have ears and those ears can become infected.
One of the symptoms of an inner ear infection in chicks is staggering and a loss of balance, this behavior can make your bird appear as though it is acting drunk.
Other signs that a bird with an inner ear infection may exhibit are loss of coordination, a head tilt and wry neck.
What to do:
Inner ear infections need antibiotics so it is recommended that you take your bird to the vet if you think that it has an inner ear infection.
Mareks disease:
Another one of the reasons why your baby chick may be acting drunk may be because the bird has a condition called Marek’s disease.
This disease is commonly seen in birds that are between 6 weeks and 6 months old.
The disease causes limping and partial, and then full, paralysis in birds and this may be why your bird seems to be acting drunk.
Other signs of this condition include a collapsed crop, visible weight loss, paralysis in the legs, wings, and neck, irregularly shaped pupils, grey irises, and little raised bumps in the bird’s skin under the feathers.
What to do:
There is unfortunately no cure for Marek’s disease in chickens and there is no treatment for this condition.
The only protection that these little birds have against Marek’s disease is vaccination before they get it the illness.
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other bird related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Chicken Making Weird Neck Movements, Chicken Shaking Head And Lethargic, How To Make A Baby Chick Sleep, Chicken Not Eating And Walking In Circles, Baby Chick Bleeding From Vent, Baby Chick Stumbling, Why Is My Baby Chick Wobbly, Quail Throat Movement, Quail Laying On Its Side
