1.5 week old splayed leg chick

[Chickenaddictsannon]

Hello, a friend hatched a batch of babies for me in her incubator and one of them has a severe splayed leg. She didn't do anything to treat it thinking it would figure it out on its own. First time for both of us. I picked the chicks up from her 2 nights ago and have been trying everything since. From rubber bands to bandaids to athletic tape. But nothing is keeping the leg straight enough. Is there hope? Was the proper care not given fast enough to help it? When it is freshly wrapped the foot still turns out significantly even with the leg going to correct direction.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi @Chickenaddictsannon Welcome To BYC

I'm sorry to hear about your chick, she is so cute.

Does the back of the hock look flat - any swelling? Could be a slipped tendon.

You can try to continue to hobble or band the leg to see if she improves. If the leg is still turning out she may have a genetic or leg bone deformity. Provide her with Vitamin B2(Riboflavin) and see that she is drinking and eating.

I'm sorry, but sometimes leg issues can't be fixed, but it's worth a try.
Keep us posted.

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/02/spraddle-leg-in-baby-chicks-what-is-it.html
https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/treating-a-chick-with-a-slipped-tendon-one-chick’s-story.69353/

 

[Chickenaddictsannon]

Thank you for your responce. I have been giving her vitamins since we got her hoping that would make a difference. Also, there is no swelling on the joint. When her legs are banded her right foot still turns to the back. In the last half hr I took the bands off to see if it would be more comfortable and the non stop peeping has calmed. If I move its legs like a bicycling motion(slowly and gently) the hip pops and the chick screeches like it's painful. This picture is a shot with her legs banded. You can see how the foot turns to rear still.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

If I move its legs like a bicycling motion(slowly and gently) the hip pops and the chick screeches like it's painful.

@WVduckchick What do you think? Could the hip be out of joint?

The foot turning back, to me, is a leg bone or genetic deformity, but let's see what others think.

 

[WVduckchick]

The description with the pics seem more like a hip issue to me, but it's hard to guess.

 

[WVduckchick]

Had to find my description from another thread, but you could try this:

Here's what I would try if it were mine. Hold your left hand out, palm up, fingers toward the right, in front of your chest. Lay the chick's belly in your left hand, feet pointing back toward your body, overhanging your pinky finger/palm. Grasp the feet and legs between your right thumb and forefinger. Slowly lower your left hand (kinda bowling ball or lawn-dart starting motion) and let the bird dangle for just a few seconds. Twist your wrist outward, and the bird's reaction should be to lift its head/chest/body upward toward your hand. (keep your hand under, but not touching, and don't drop her! lol) When it does, you can re-grab the body. This will sometimes "reset" a slipped hip or knee joint. It won't hurt the bird, and I would think its worth a try.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Had to find my description from another thread, but you could try this:

Here's what I would try if it were mine. Hold your left hand out, palm up, fingers toward the right, in front of your chest. Lay the chick's belly in your left hand, feet pointing back toward your body, overhanging your pinky finger/palm. Grasp the feet and legs between your right thumb and forefinger. Slowly lower your left hand (kinda bowling ball or lawn-dart starting motion) and let the bird dangle for just a few seconds. Twist your wrist outward, and the bird's reaction should be to lift its head/chest/body upward toward your hand. (keep your hand under, but not touching, and don't drop her! lol) When it does, you can re-grab the body. This will sometimes "reset" a slipped hip or knee joint. It won't hurt the bird, and I would think its worth a try.

You're always a wealth of info! I've got to bookmark this so I can refer people to your instructions!

 

[WVduckchick]

You're always a wealth of info! I've got to bookmark this so I can refer people to your instructions!

Well it doesn't always work, but I have seen a little success with it. And someone else recommended it to me once, so i can't take all the credit lol I only wrote it out as clearly as I could describe it. Until you try it on a live chick, it seems so wrong, but it doesn't hurt them at all. As long as you don't let them dangle too long.

 

[Chickenaddictsannon]

Thank you everyone for you help in trying to resolve this and help our poor babe. But unfortunately she passed during the night.

 

[WVduckchick]

Thank you everyone for you help in trying to resolve this and help our poor babe. But unfortunately she passed during the night.

Oh, I'm so sorry