Injured baby chick. Need advise.

[rajzwaibel]

We got a dozen chicks in last Tuesday. On one of the EEs, she has a very bad limp. I can't detect an injury anywhere, and when standing still, she can stand pretty straight-no bowed legs. However, when she walks, she limps very bad on the right leg. And when she rests, the leg splays out at about a 60 degree angle away from her body.

I had used paper towels on the floor over plywood, and I haven't noticed any other chicks slipping on it.

Is it an injury, or maybe something else? Can she heal out of it, or is she not going to make it?

Thanks for all the advise.

 

[faykokoWV]

I'm not sure what it might be and I'm definately not and expert.

It might possibly be spradle leg. Do a search on this site and you'll find many post on the treatment of that.

good luck

 

[California Ducken]

Ok you need to get electrolytes and vitamins in the water.
Get some poly vi sol NO iron (yes for human infants)
Give it some boiled egg.
Supportive care is what you need right now.
Sometimes the chick or chicks just are lacking in the vitamin department.
So up the vitamins and see how it goes for the next day.
Were they shipped?
What is the brooder temp.?
What kind of feed are they on?
Get Chick Starter crumbles if you don't have them already.
keep us updated.

 

[rajzwaibel]

Quote:
Thanks. They were shipped and none had issues the first day. The brooder is between 95 and cooler. It's 8 feet long, with the heat lamp on one end. So they hang out there during the night, and at the cooler end during the day when it's hotter outside. They are on crumbles. I'll go with vitamins and see how that works.

 

[California Ducken]

How is she today?
Is the leg still splayed?
If so let me know and I will look up the tape splinting advise someone gave me.
Is it Chick Starter that she is on?

 

[California Ducken]

Oh brooder info. on temp.
First week and 1/2 temp. at 96 - 98 Degrees
and keep decreasing the temp. by 5 degrees every week after.

Also if you decrease the temp. an notice that the chicks are huddled, increase the temp back up. Some times the chicks develop at different rates.
It sounds like you are doing a great job so far. Keep it up!
Keep me posted so I can get you the taping info. if the leg is still having the splaying problem.

 

[rajzwaibel]

Well, the leg is still bad. I've given vitamins, electrolyte water, etc. I'm not worried about the brooder, because at one end it's almost 100 degrees, but down to the low 80s at the other end. It's also pretty big, so during the day when it's hot, the chicks tend to sit around the cooler end. And when it's colder at night, they go under the light.

 

[Sugar Sand Farm]

I've got the same problem with one of my chicks. She was like that when DH brought her from the breeders. I posted on here any no one answered. I will try the vitamins tomorrow in their water but I don't think that will help. Is yours eating and drinking OK. Mine is. It just seems to be her leg. She doesn't want to put weight on it. She limps around. Hope you and I both find the answers Micki

 

[rajzwaibel]

Quote:
Yeah, she's eating and drinking fine. Tonight I put a bandaid on her legs to see if it was straddle leg. But I just heard that you shouldn't use band aids because birds are allergic to latex.

 

[California Ducken]

Ok I will post advise given to me by Glenda L Heywood for the splinting;

ORTHOPEDICS FOR POULTRY MADE EASY FOR BEGINNERS
By D.C. Townsend

These treatments have been tested and proven effective. I developed them for peafowl but they
may be used for any poultry. The key to success is to begin treatment promptly. In some cases delay
will kill or cripple the chick.

CHICK SHOE
Not Actual Size
HALF SHOE
Not Actual Size
In the 1995 hatch, I had a number of peachicks with a kink in the outer toe of one or both feet.
They were well past a week old when I decided that I must do something about it. I made HALF SHOES of black pipe cleaner. I tore off a quarter inch-wide stripe of duck tape several inches long and secured
the HALF SHOE to the middle and the outer toe. Several days of treatment were needed. Some of the
HALF SHOES came off and had to be taped on again, but all treated peachicks had straight toes at the
end of the treatment. There is a young peacock that I missed treating. Now it is too late and he will
always have a kink in his outer toe


HOBBLE BRACE
ACHILLES TENDON OUT OF THE GROOVE
When the Achilles tendon slips out of the groove on the hock joint, a peachick will not be able to
straighten its leg. The problem needs prompt attention because the struggling peachick will put
its weight on the hock joint which will damage the skin and cause swelling in the joint. The tendon
can be pushed back in place with just one finger or a very gentle squeeze between the thumb and index
finger. Sometimes just one treatment will give a complete cure that seems like a miracle. Other
times several treatments are needed. Stubborn cases require advanced treatment that is too difficult to
explain here. I treated both legs of a peachick for two weeks; She grew up to be a healthy peahen.

STRADDLE LEGS
This problem can occur even if you take the precaution of having quarter inch hardware cloth
under your peachicks. Sometimes it is caused by the struggles of a chick with its toes rolled into
fists. In that case, both problems must be treated at the same time. I cut a piece of tape four or
five inches long and from the HOBBLE BRACE with the legs far enough apart so that the peachick can walk. The tape must go the whole way around and cover its sticky side so that it does not stick to the
peachick's fuzz when it sits down. Usually 24 hours of treatment is sufficient, but sometimes more is
required. CHICK SHOES and the HOBBLE BRACE can be used at the same time.

Please continue the vitamins, I know it sounds silly that something so simple can do so much.....but it can.
Keep us posted