New born walking on his hocks

clarechick

Hatching
Jan 15, 2016
5
0
7
Hi

I have a one day old chick that I had to help hatch. He pipped but 24 hours after the other 5 successfully hatched he was still chirping and rocking but getting nowhere. Anyway when I peeled back some of the shell his leg was kicking like crazy and he just wasn't able to get himself out. I managed to get him out as slowly and gently as I could and he has fought to live and get up and about but he's down on his hocks with one slightly curled toe and he's only half the size of the others.
I read on a forum he may have wrecked his legs with all the kicking in the egg?
Anyway do we have any hope, what can I do to help him?
400

I'm boiling up an egg here now for the protein. Any suggestions for splints or is it not a condition that can be helped with a splint?
He's a good set of lungs on him
263a.png
 
Hi

I have a one day old chick that I had to help hatch. He pipped but 24 hours after the other 5 successfully hatched he was still chirping and rocking but getting nowhere. Anyway when I peeled back some of the shell his leg was kicking like crazy and he just wasn't able to get himself out. I managed to get him out as slowly and gently as I could and he has fought to live and get up and about but he's down on his hocks with one slightly curled toe and he's only half the size of the others.
I read on a forum he may have wrecked his legs with all the kicking in the egg?
Anyway do we have any hope, what can I do to help him?
I'm boiling up an egg here now for the protein. Any suggestions for splints or is it not a condition that can be helped with a splint?
He's a good set of lungs on him
263a.png
Welcome to BYC! I'm familiar with this problem, in peafowl though. Can you please take a picture of the hocks themselves. Hold the chick on its back securely and try to get a picture showing the hocks. Curly toes is an easier issue to correct than the hock problem. With peafowl and other birds curly toes can be caused when the hen didn't get enough protein before she laid the egg. The hock problem can happen if it takes too long for the chick to get out of the egg which can be from not enough humidity. I've seen for shoes people will have medical tape. Stick the chick's feet to it stretching the toes out. Then adding medical tape on top to hold the chicks toes in place. I've tried splinting the slip tendon with peachicks and didn't get far. Usually when you get these two problems together it become difficult. Still hope, maybe somebody has had better results with slip tendons than I've had.
 
Thank you!
I'm glued to your forum I have a sick 10 month old cockerel as well, this little fellas dad, so I'm learning fast about sick chickens, (I'm more at home around horses).
Anyway on this learning curve I have 5 very healthy chicks then this little critter (from 6 eggs) out of the same batch in the incubator so could it have been a humidity problem? What I may have done wrong is to remove the other chicks before he had hatched?
He's eaten some hard boiled egg and drank plenty of water from the end of a syringe and he's making a big effort to run around
I see from this photo he has a raw spot on his leg already though
1f625.png

400

His dad is also in a baby bouncer on rehab on advice of a local chicken rescue lady. I have a video of that too but that's another story!
Thanks again for trying to help though there possibly is only one outcome as it doesn't sound too hopeful his leg will come right
1f624.png

I'm Happy to make a foot cast if Its worth trying.
 
Thank you!
I'm glued to your forum I have a sick 10 month old cockerel as well, this little fellas dad, so I'm learning fast about sick chickens, (I'm more at home around horses).
Anyway on this learning curve I have 5 very healthy chicks then this little critter (from 6 eggs) out of the same batch in the incubator so could it have been a humidity problem? What I may have done wrong is to remove the other chicks before he had hatched?
He's eaten some hard boiled egg and drank plenty of water from the end of a syringe and he's making a big effort to run around
I see from this photo he has a raw spot on his leg already though
1f625.png


His dad is also in a baby bouncer on rehab on advice of a local chicken rescue lady. I have a video of that too but that's another story!
Thanks again for trying to help though there possibly is only one outcome as it doesn't sound too hopeful his leg will come right
1f624.png

I'm Happy to make a foot cast if Its worth trying.

It seems like it's just the one hock fortunately. I'm trying to think of a way to help the hock. The curly toes can be somewhat of an easy fix. Here's a link to fixing curly toes. Even though it's with peafowl it's the same concept.http://peafowlimagedatabase.weebly.com/chicks-straightening-crooked-toes.html. This website is an amazing website. The people from the peafowl forum have donated pictures. Casportpony (amazing with fixing problems) has also helped. You can try and send her a PM with the photo of the legs attached and see what she says. She's amazing at helping people with bird health problems. For the hock the only thing I can think of is splinting it. Hopefully Casportpony will be able to help you better than I can.
 
Last edited:
Hi

I have a one day old chick that I had to help hatch. He pipped but 24 hours after the other 5 successfully hatched he was still chirping and rocking but getting nowhere. Anyway when I peeled back some of the shell his leg was kicking like crazy and he just wasn't able to get himself out. I managed to get him out as slowly and gently as I could and he has fought to live and get up and about but he's down on his hocks with one slightly curled toe and he's only half the size of the others.
I read on a forum he may have wrecked his legs with all the kicking in the egg?
Anyway do we have any hope, what can I do to help him?
400

I'm boiling up an egg here now for the protein. Any suggestions for splints or is it not a condition that can be helped with a splint?
He's a good set of lungs on him
263a.png


@clarechick, welcome to BYC! Have you seen this link yet?
https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry

-Kathy
 
Thanks

I'm beginning to worry the whole moving around thing makes him very tired and I'm having to feed and water him via a syringe as he wont take my offerings. He's back in the incubator for shelter away from the others and some extra heat for a bit. Don't think that leg can come right and don't want to see him suffer either
1f622.png
 
Thanks

I'm beginning to worry the whole moving around thing makes him very tired and I'm having to feed and water him via a syringe as he wont take my offerings. He's back in the incubator for shelter away from the others and some extra heat for a bit. Don't think that leg can come right and don't want to see him suffer either
1f622.png
Maybe try this:


-Kathy
 

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