Slipped Tendon in Baby Chicks

[HannibalBarca]

Welcome to BYC! So happy you were able to get your chicks healthy, and thanks for sharing your experience.

Slipped tendon is quite common in peafowl, and I suspect that's because many people don't feed them properly. Somewhere I have some pictures that you might find interesting and will post them here if you want.

I was concerned I wasn't feeding my chicks properly because I read that if they are deficient in certain nutrients the bones and tendons won't quite fit. I would love to see some pictures.

 

[WVduckchick]

Thanks for the post! I'm no chicken expert and i'm happy to learn something new.
It took this girl about 2 weeks to gain the ability to stand. I posted my account because I was ecstatic that my chick ended up recovering and I thought I would share that and is by no means an attempt at prescribing a charlatan's scheme. That being said, every chick is different and no injury/recovery is the same.

I pulled up a better picture showing how the bird rested when I noticed its symptoms. She's on the left of the divider on her side with an out stretched leg. Again, I could have explained my chick's symptoms more accurately but I just wanted to show that my bird ended up recovering naturally with very little interference from me. Everyone has a different experience in dealing with health issues with their animals. I thought there could be more to that and I was hoping other people might have had similar stories they could share. I'm really just happy she pulled through. View attachment 1306641

That's great, I'm glad she pulled thru too. And we do appreciate your experiences. That's the best thing about this site.

And I should have said that sooner.

 

[Ese_N_Gracie]

I was surprised that BYC just advertised an article that said wait a month to give them sticks.... I've found theylike to practice standing on them MUCH younger....and it is really good for them to excersise early.
As to the suggestion of tying the legs together, there are some great images online of different wraps...but when I've treated birds (Wild birds...rehabber) We tie the legs together.
Happy to hear your little guys made it....I'm a huge Cochin fan.

 

[HannibalBarca]

I was surprised that BYC just advertised an article that said wait a month to give them sticks.... I've found theylike to practice standing on them MUCH younger....and it is really good for them to excersise early.
As to the suggestion of tying the legs together, there are some great images online of different wraps...but when I've treated birds (Wild birds...rehabber) We tie the legs together.
Happy to hear your little guys made it....I'm a huge Cochin fan.

I put a branch for them to roost on in their third week. They freaked out and didn't understand what it was so I ended up taking it out because they wouldn't go near the side of the brooder it was placed on.

 

[Ese_N_Gracie]

I put a branch for them to roost on in their third week. They freaked out and didn't understand what it was so I ended up taking it out because they wouldn't go near the side of the brooder it was placed on.

You gotta sneak that stuff up on them at night! lol

 

[pennyhaddock]

Do you feel like this might work for a guinea keet that is around 7 weeks old? We've already tried putting the tendon back in place and wrapping the leg (as shown to us by a vet) but when changing the wrap we noticed the tendon had already slipped again under the wrapping- also the wrap was causing the foot and leg to turn a dark color and we were scared it was cutting off circulation- although the vet told us not to worry about this that it would change slightly. We finally just took the wrapping off and he is now hopping around on that on leg...my biggest concern is whether or not he is in any pain, I do not want this baby to be in pain and if that means compassionately putting him to sleep then we will do that, but if he has a chance to live a life free of pain with only a disability, I would like to give him that opportunity....any advice would be greatly appreciated...

Hello everyone who is a poultry enthusiast! I am a second year veterinary graduate student at UC Davis and I have been raising backyard chickens for four years. If you have concerns about treating a chick with a suspected slipped tendon(s), you may find that my experience can help you.

I had two three week old cochin bantams with slipped tendons. The first, a partridge, had it in one leg and the second, a splash, in both legs. They were the largest in a brood of nine. The bedding from day one was paper towel atop two inches of soft pine shavings. The starter feed contained vitamin b, manganese, and choline so I do not think poor nutrition was the cause. My guess is that they grew too quick and their weight exceeded what their legs could handle.

The partridge recovered on its own within four days of the injury without me having to isolate it or treat the leg. The splash, however, had it in both legs and could not reach the feed/water or be around other chicks without being bothered. I isolated it inside the main brooder with feed and water. It would sit on its hocks or side and when it tried to stand it would whine in pain and was in obvious discomfort.

Others who have dealt with this leg problem recommend tying the legs together or making a chicken chair immediately after diagnosing the injury so you can prevent further damage to the leg/tendon. The only thing I have done is isolate the bird and make sure it has all the food and water it wants.

A week and a half later the chick could stand on one leg with no (noticeable) pain and proper alignment under the carriage. Two days later it could stand on both legs. It is now running and jumping with it's brood-mates.

This may be an outlier but my result can be substantive in treating slipped tendon in chicks. Isolation with food, water, and rest might be just what your bird needs to recover. Before you consider a vet visit, attempt to fix it yourself, or contemplate culling the animal you can let the bird heal naturally because sometimes...

 

[Skyranchmom]

The legs were never off to the sides of the body and both chicks could align their legs under their bodies. They could only sit on their hocks and their tendons were indeed out of place. I should have described their symptoms better. In the photo the leg is not so much twisted or out of place as it is being raised due to discomfort as it is still swollen.

I have a chick who has a slipped tendon or two I believe, I thought it was splayed legs so have been treating this, what can I do, chick is a week old, can't walk, kind of hops around