Leg issue with Lavender Orpington

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freedom chick

freedom chick

Songster
6 Years
Nov 19, 2014
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Across from the corn, next to the soybeans
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I picked up these English Lavender Orpingtons from a "breeder" about 2 weeks ago, so they were a bit smaller at the time.


They had feathers missing down their tummy line and seemed possibly under nourished to me. They were not yet feathered out. I read about brooder burn and left it at that. They eat and drink like little pigs and poop fine also. I have noticed constant chirping from this guy, not loud peeping, but constant content (??) sounding soft beep-beep-beep-beep-beep. I keep their living quarters clean.


!) I think I have a cockerel with a screwy leg. What could be wrong with it?


2) Why is his backside look bare and swollen? It looks a bit swollen to me. Anyone else?


3) They seem to be growing a little slowly to me also.



They are now around 4 weeks old. I am now thinking the "breeder" was a "collector" and I ended up with rescue chickens. I may have a real mess on my hands.
This is my 2nd season of chicken keeping.

Help!
Help!
Help!
 
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It sounds like they may just be kinda runty. Maybe the result of inbreeding?
About his leg, it looks like either a mutation, or an injury that was left untreated and healed wrong. Does it get around okay on it?
 
Well, this is what I found for anyone else who may need help or further info: This was a slipped tendon

https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry

Scroll down to Fix Slipped Achilles Tendon in Hock Joint

Condition: Chondrodystrophy / Achondroplasia & Perosis, conditions in which nutritional deficiencies in parent bird's diet keep chick's bones from developing properly to hold tendon.


Unfortunately, another of the Lavender Orpingtons developed this condition about 2 days ago. She was my favorite :(
Both had to be culled. We are now watching the 3rd we purchased, all from the same breeder.
From everything my husband and I read, this condition can occur between 4 to 12 weeks. These chicks are at week 8.

We tried to gently reposition the tendon, but with no luck. It was difficult for me to feel. We decided it was best for the flock to not continue the genetics. The birds would have eventually wasted away anyway if we let them live, with no quality of life.

We had never dealt with this issue before. We have always kept our chicks on shaving in the brooder. By the time the 2nd chick developed this at 8 weeks they had transitioned to the coop and were spending time outside. What could have happened? I am meticulous with my birds and research everything. I don't believe this was something I caused.

We did try to contact the breeder and I was accused of being a con artist. That hurt too :(
Overall, a sad situation.

Other possible cause we read is during the incubation period, improper turning of the eggs or slight temp changes and variances can cause health issues for hatching chicks. ??
I am no expert there.
 
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