New born walking on his hocks

[clarechick]

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

 

[casportpony]

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

Maybe try this:


-Kathy

 

[mdb7558]

Bless him, I've fed him watered him cuddled him and set him back in the incubator and he's gone to sleep. I really need to know how to fix up the leg, I'm happy to put him in a "high chair" and keep the weight off him but it's how to fix the leg or can it be fixed that's my biggest concern. I'm trying to nurse, figure out how to keep him alive as I've never nursed a new born and read posts so any absolute specifics on how to cast up the leg would be appreciated, between him and everything else I haven't much time left for reading through it all and time is probably ticking on the chance to straighten his leg if it can be straightened.
Thank you all for your support.

Maybe a fat chance you will get this, as this thread is so old. I have the exact same problem... newly hatched chick walking on his hocks and curled inward toes. Did you find a solution. Going to try taping toes. I've thought about a splint for the leg joint, but I feel he will freak out and fall all over the place. Thanks!

 

[Birdrain92]

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

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.

 

[clarechick]

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

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

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

 

[Birdrain92]

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

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

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.

 

[drumstick diva]

YES, indeed Casportpony is the user to contact. I hope you can get in touch with her. Welcome to Backyard chickens.

 

[casportpony]

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

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

-Kathy

 

[NickyKnack]

Good luck with the little one.

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!