10-day-old Buff Orpington chick with injured right leg (see pix)

[BuffNumber14]

(photos below -- skip ahead if this is too long!)

I have a 10-day-old Buff Orpington chick with an injured right leg. Not sure of its weight, but it is definitely lighter than its 13 buddies hatched the same day. It's a runt and nickname is "Fourteen."

BACKGROUND

This chick required some assistance to hatch as it was getting tired after many hours. (I just pressed down a bit on the two halves of the zipped egg to open it slightly more).

I did not notice any problems with Fourteen's developments until yesterday. I put Fourteen and three of its hatch mates in a box to see if they would adapt to being in a section of my outdoor coop (with heat). I think it got jostled while walking for a minute from indoors to outdoors with the more boisterous chicks. Once in the coop, it seemed to get run over several times. I bought them back in to their indoor brooder, and Fourteen seemed to be hopping around reasonably well for food and water.

SYMPTOMS

Today Fourteen seems to be in good spirits but mainly sitting down with no weight on its legs. It was getting run over by its hatchmates, so it has been separated into its own cardboard box with chick starter/grit, water and a heatplate. It is adjacent to its hatchmates' tote so they can chirp back and forth.

On examination, it is drawing its right leg into its body. The leg doesn't seem to be splayed. It is curling its toes but these can readily be straightened by finger pressure. I don't feel the injured leg could be hobbled to the good leg as the chick is completely avoiding putting weight on it.

I don't see external trauma.

My wild guess is that it may be a sprain and that it is not a splayed foot nor classy curly toes. But I will add photos and note that I am a novice at chicken keeping (one year).

IS REST WHILE SEPARATED ENOUGH?

Fourteen is in a cardboard box with resin paper on the floor (easier to navigate than pine shavings?) and chick starter in a feeder and scattered on the paper. I am monitoring to see if Fourteen can take water by hobbling to the waterer or needs assistance with a syringe.

 

[2ndTink]

Check for a slipped tendon. There are good threads about that on here, but if you can feel the tendon cord on the side of that little hock instead of in the center, then that's what you're dealing with. If you can feel that it is slipped, as gently as you can, straighten that leg out and use your thumb to pop the tendon back in place. The longer it stays out the harder it is to get it back in place and keep it there.

Visually looking at it, if it's a slipped tendon the hock will look wider and flatter than the non-injured leg when bent as you have it in the photos.

 

[BuffNumber14]

Thanks 2ndTink, I took a look at the hock and can't tell -- I have macular degeneration. I may try again under a magnifier / bright light. Appreciate your thoughts!

 

[2ndTink]

If it was slipped, it would be fairly easy to feel that the bad hock is wider than the other.

I am hoping that it isn't slipped and just a little strain that will resolve on its own!

Keep me posted and feel free to ask me questions, just tag me so I don't miss it. Just type the @ and type my user name and it will send me a notification. I don't know nearly as much as a lot of people on here but I will try to help if I can.

 

[BuffNumber14]

You're an angel! that is my hope as well.

 

[2ndTink]

I zoomed in on the photos again, it looks like the foot on the injured leg rotates out a little and that joint does look a little flat. Give that hock a good look and feel, my guess is that if it is a slipped tendon that it is on the outside of the leg, but I could be wrong. It would feel like a 1/8" diameter (or maybe a little less) cord under the skin.

 

[BuffNumber14]

Bingo @2ndTink . I looked at Fourteen under a magnifier. The enlarged hock is visible as well as the turned lower leg.

I believe I can feel a slipped tendon on the outside of the hock. I stretched the leg backwards and tried to gently manipulate it into place, but it wouldn't move with gentle pressure.

I think I'll do brief therapy sessions multiple times a day to try to get the tendon more flexible.

Hopefully it is not too late. The chick is in good spirits and likes to chirp, and is eating and drinking.

 

[2ndTink]

It's going to take a bit of pressure to pop that sucker back in there, with the fast growth rate of chicks the longer you wait the worse it will be unfortunately. Go for the pain now to hopefully have a sound chicken later. Just get the leg as straight as you can and it's going to take some oomph to move that tendon.

Good luck! This isn't easy, not many people are successful with getting it to stay put

If it doesn't stay in, the chick will very likely have a good life still, I've seen people on here with hens that grew up with slipped tendons. There's a disabled chickens thread on here, let me go get you the link...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/disabled-chickens-forum.1594570/

 

[BuffNumber14]

thanks I'll brace myself to have the fortitude!

 

[BuffNumber14]

@2ndTink , I'm able to manipulate the tendon almost to the back of the hock with the leg pointed back, but it isn't locking into place.

Should I push harder?

And do I need to put Fourteen into a chick chair if I succeed or is wrapping enough ?

UPDATE:

I think I have the tendon temporarily in place when the leg is straightened and pointing gently back of body centerline. I'll try to figure out a splint and a chick chair.