2 week chicks - going lame and foot twisting out

2ndTink

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Premium Feather Member
Aug 23, 2020
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I just hatched 16 sikkie chicks 2 Thursdays ago, one had 2 crooked toes that I noticed and taped the second day, 24 hours and it was just fine. At a week old I found one walking a little off, it's one foot was slightly out from it's body. I checked it out and it's two back toes were curled under its foot, so I straightened them carefully and taped them. The chick was super uncomfortable, I took it off the following day and the chick wouldn't put any weight on it. That was a week ago and it still just hops around. A few days ago it looked like another chick was walking with one foot a bit out to the side. If you pick it up and it straightens it's leg it sticks out to the side and not down. Two days ago another chick started to favor a foot, I thought it was uncomfortable with all the feet feathers coming in, but it's worse today then yesterday.

My friend came to visit from out of state and I showed them to her since she used to raise chickens, she said it's a virus and likely lymphoid Leukosis which is what her flock contracted a few years ago and she ended up culling her whole flock as they all got sick. She mentioned it attacked the hocks in the cockerels first, they were the first to show symptoms. She recommended to cull the two worst chicks and get them tested. The worst one you can see the hock on the bad leg is bigger than the ok leg.

I've tried getting photos but it's kinda hard to see the issue. I'll post this and go try again.
 
Not sure it shows it well, but it's right hock is larger, in the photo in the brooder the foot feathers accentuate it, but it holds its foot off the ground and out to the side.

They are fed Nutrina chick starter with Fertrell breeder supplement, I gradually increased this as they are growing, just got to 1/2 tsp per day for the 16 chicks. I gave them probiotics in their water every other day for the first week and a half, twice I did poultry cell in their water the first week. I give them a little cooked yolk twice per week.
 

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