Chick with broken leg? Please help!

[Chickengirl209]

It's highly unlikely that she broke a leg. It is much more likely she's showing signs of an illness or a nutritional deficiency. Nutri-Drench is good to have on hand. If you can go get some go get some today. If not, take about two tablespoons of the chicken feed and get it a little bit wet...add a spoonful of tuna fish to see if she'll eat it.
Water. Encourage her to drink water on her own.

Thank you. I also recently raised the water, quite possibly too high. Maybe she was having problems reaching it. She definetly perked up since we've been feeding her and giving her water.

 

[Kiki]

No. I believe they are also vaccinated.
The only treat we ever feed them is corn, and we haven't been doing that lately. We recently switched feed though to a local company, and it is a mash not a pellet. Our older girls have no symtoms of any problems except Bumble foot.

My first thought was Mareks too, but then I remembered they were vaccinated.

Unfortunately, being vaccinated does not prevent the disease.
It's possible that she has it, but it's much more likely that you're dealing with a nutritional deficiency.
Please please don't offer corn anymore at all.
Pretty much any commercially made crumbled or mash or pelleted type feed is best and it's formulated as a complete balanced diet.

 

[Stellasmomma]

I have a 6wk old Speckled Sussex chick that I think must have gotten her leg broken, fractured, sprained or something either yesterday evening or this morning. I had let them outside to graze yesterday and they were fine. She is one of the smaller of the Sussex, and usually very fast and skittish. She has different colored legs than the others, a tan color. The others are cream colored.
Today I found her in the middle of the brooder, being trampled by the others. She was doing a kind of army crawl, but kept getting knocked over. When I picked her up, she started writhing unnaturally, and fell on her back, unable to turn rightside up. She had no balance whatsoever, not even with her wings. Whenever my hand touched her heel or around it, she squealed and writhed again.(I found a picture showing what I mean by "heel" online. It is not her leg.) Her head would fall to the side of her injured leg. It was very hard to hold her because her body kept flopping over in my hand.

We took her inside, and I held her in a position that she wasn't hurt. She was obviously dehydrated. Her head would roll in odd positions, and sometimes twitch a little. She seemed unable to move her head much to drink water, like it would hurt if she tried. When she moved her head too far back, she would fall over backwards. To far to the side and she'd topple.
I gave her some water (put her beak in the water) and she did very tiny sips, not moving her head, only "smacking her lips" as you might say. We prayed.
After about 5mins she perked up, and her head wasn't rolling as much, only gradually moving backwards and then she would move it forwards again.
10 more minutes and more sips, she was able to perch comfortably on my hand without me supporting her. (I still supported her some so if she lost her balance, I could catch her.) She started moving her head for water herself, lifting it to drink as well. If she moved it too far up, she'd stumble back. We put her in a box with shavings. She moved herself to the wall to support herself on her side and back.
20mins and she started eating. She doesn't move her body to eat, just her head. She is regularly peeping in a not frightened way, and when we leave her and cover her box with a towel, she gets quiet. She is starting to sleep.

Now is about 1h 1/2 since we found her. Still doing well and happy. I have not started to look at where her leg is injured at. (Didn't want to disturb her yet.)
Is there any suggestions what to do from here, or any tips on splinting? I think it is probably her heel or thigh since that is where she screamed when I touched it.

Some people I might ask:
@Wyorp Rock
@Kiki
@U_Stormcrow
@Miss Lydia
@rosemarythyme
@coach723
@nuthatched
@Ridgerunner
@aart
Thanks all!

I hope my post gives you some hope! I have a black copper maran that had the same thing happen I am not sure how she was about 8 weeks when it happened but no longer in the brooder. WE have no idea how it happened. I checked her over no other injury's fast forward to today she is 11 weeks old and walking again she is doing what seems like her own form of PT as she does need to rest after a bit of a stride she even did a little run yesterday! My guess is because she was so young she was able to heal as long as she is eating and drinking she may heal up it will just take a few weeks I did not remove mine from her flock but she was a bit older then yours and because of that was outside and able to move herself out of the way of the others. You are smart to move her as she cant compete right now with the others. Good luck !! Dont give up hope!

 

[Miss Lydia]

You said there was something going on with one leg can you actually see anything like an injury? She may have just gotten trampled and the leg was hurt since it sounds like she is doing much better. Hopefully a few more days and she'll be able to go back with her flock.
If you can't find Nutri drench Poultry Cell is another one that comes highly rec.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Sorry I've never dealt with leg injuries before.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She doesn't move her body to eat, just her head.

Also the chick is still doing the thing where her head moves slowly back, then she moves it forwards.

Is she still moving her head strangely?

If the water station was too high, she may just be suffering from dehydration since she's improving now.

I'd work on hydration - get some electrolytes or sugar water into her, even though she's getting better. Once she's drinking really well, then offer her a wet mash of food.

If she's still moving oddly, try to get a video of the actions. Upload video to youtube and provide a link.

A whole body photo of her and how she sits/stand or her posture would be good along with poop photos.

 

[Chickengirl209]

You said there was something going on with one leg can you actually see anything like an injury? She may have just gotten trampled and the leg was hurt since it sounds like she is doing much better. Hopefully a few more days and she'll be able to go back with her flock.
If you can't find Nutri drench Poultry Cell is another one that comes highly rec.

I can not see any visible injury. I think that it is probably not her foot. It still seems like she is not 100% herself. She is very chirpy, not the "momma I'm in danger" call, but like twittering.
I had her sleep in the box with bedding inside our house tonight, and this morning I woke up and looked in. She was twisted with her head under her with her beak up, like she tried to preen her stomach and couldn't get up. She did the limp thing again too. Once I got her out of the box, her head stopped twisting. She perched and started eating. @Kiki I tried the tuna fish and wet feed idea you suggested. She really liked it, and ate a lot. I didn't let her eat all of it because I was worried she might eat to much. She would even get up and walk to the food.
For some reason it seems like when she is out of the box she does better, so I have been holding her while working on the computer. She is much more stable. She has been able to stretch without falling over and hasn't lost her balance since this morning. She has even been preening. She really likes trying to eat my hair. She only took a few bites of food this morning. I put some oil of oregano her food to maybe help her immune system. I'm not sure how much she got in her. I put some liquid silver in her water, but she refuses to drink any and refuses to drink even normal water. I have been putting her beak in the water to make her drink, but she's really only taken 3 actual sips.
I have no drink for electrolytes, and have not tried the sugar idea yet, @Wyorp Rock. I have been wanting her to drink first.

 

[Chickengirl209]

Is she still moving her head strangely?

If the water station was too high, she may just be suffering from dehydration since she's improving now.

I'd work on hydration - get some electrolytes or sugar water into her, even though she's getting better. Once she's drinking really well, then offer her a wet mash of food.

If she's still moving oddly, try to get a video of the actions. Upload video to youtube and provide a link.

A whole body photo of her and how she sits/stand or her posture would be good along with poop photos.

Her poo is very smelly, almost like dog poo. It is also shiney/has an oily look to it. The other one came out watery with a lot of white. (Photos attached.) She has pooped around 5 times since 10am.
Attached are also pics of her perching on my leg. She likes to rest her beak on my leg to sleep. When she's not sleeping she chirps or pecks my hair.
About half the time when she is awake her eyes are only half open.

 

[Chickengirl209]

She smells bad too, like poo.

Maybe it's wry neck?
https://www.freedomrangerhatchery.com/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-wry-neck-in-chickens/

It seems like whenever I put her in the box she falls over or gets twisted around.

I would put a video on, but it is only ever briefly that it happens, and not very frequently, and I don't want to leave her in a bad position to get the camera.

 

[Chickengirl209]

Fed her some Nutri Drencher. I fed it to her straight, without putting it in water, because she wasn't drinking without having her beak dipped in the water.

I'll let you know what happens with her tomorrow.