2 week old chick walks on hocks. Eating and drinking ok. Not as big as other chicks.

[NewBeeChickGurl]

I posted this on hatching eggs, but someone suggested it might be better on here.

Hi there. Please help me. I really don't want to cull this baby chick, but will if I have to (if she is in pain). I've hatched eggs before but this is the first time my chick has had any leg issues. I'm suspecting that my incubator temperature was too low and after about 12-24 hrs, I (for better or worst) ended up helping the poor thing from the shell. I didn't help it all the way out and let it do the final getting out of the shell. Looking back, perhaps it would have been better to help it all the way out, but who knows if that would have been better.

S/he is about 2 weeks old now. She has curled toes on one foot.... I've tried to tape it and it hasn't seem to help much. She also walks on hocks. Her hocks are swollen. I have tried to tape (with band-aid cut length wide) her leg together. I also have tried to use popsicle sticks (cut much smaller) to splint both of her legs. She couldn't walk when I did that so I made her a chick chair from a sock and cup, but she escapes from it. I've also been giving her some vitiman B-6 and nutri drench. Here are some pictures. Please let me know your thoughts? Do I have any hope? I am ok with keeping it if it walks funny, but as long as it isn't suffering. Any help is much appreciated. Thanks for reading.

 

[Perris]

I don't know about this, but I know someone who might, or who knows someone else who might! @FortCluck can you help here please?

PS hello @NewBeeChickGurl - welcome to BYC

 

[FortCluck]

It needs to exercise its leg muscles. I would put it in a cup like a coffee cup with a paper towel on the bottom of it to give the chick grip. See how it does I’m 24 hours... Make sure that you feed and water it

If it’s not better in 24 hours I would cull it because it will be suffering at that point.

A chicken can’t continue walking like that for the rest of its life that is why it’s leg is swollen near the joint. It’s not healthy to be like that without intervention.

 

[NewBeeChickGurl]

It needs to exercise its leg muscles. I would put it in a cup like a coffee cup with a paper towel on the bottom of it to give the chick grip. See how it does I’m 24 hours... Make sure that you feed and water it

If it’s not better in 24 hours I would cull it because it will be suffering at that point.

A chicken can’t continue walking like that for the rest of its life that is why it’s leg is swollen near the joint. It’s not healthy to be like that without intervention.

Any ideas how

It needs to exercise its leg muscles. I would put it in a cup like a coffee cup with a paper towel on the bottom of it to give the chick grip. See how it does I’m 24 hours... Make sure that you feed and water it

If it’s not better in 24 hours I would cull it because it will be suffering at that point.

A chicken can’t continue walking like that for the rest of its life that is why it’s leg is swollen near the joint. It’s not healthy to be like that without intervention.

Any ideas on how I can keep it in the cup? Thanks.

 

[Humble Shack Farm]

I believe this is a condition called spraddle leg. You treat it by basically creating hobbles for the chick that hold it's legs under it in the right position so it can practice walking and building up the correct muscles. Vitamin therapy (Nutri Drench in the water and a bit of time in the sunlight each day) may also benefit it. Here's a good article on the condition: https://www.fresheggsdaily.blog/2012/04/spraddle-leg.html

 

[NewBeeChickGurl]

So I've never posted to YouTube before but hope it works....

 

[Oncoming Storm]

Early signs of valgus Vera? I have a valgus chicken that was given to me and it’s toes curled in a similar way.

 

[NewBeeChickGurl]

Early signs of valgus Vera? I have a valgus chicken that was given to me and it’s toes curled in a similar way.

What happened to your chicken?

 

[Weeg]

@Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive @Overo Mare

 

[Oncoming Storm]

What happened to your chicken?

S/he's still alive. They’re around four-five months old. They move around and eat and drink without issue. I do have to feed separately so that I know they get enough. They were given to me by a woman when they were about two months old and she thought it was splayed leg. This chicken is developing slower which is why I still don’t know if it’s a boy or girl. I never thought of culling them because for one I genuinely never thought of that and probably couldn’t bring myself to do it, and two, they seem relatively happy. I’ll find them in different places whether it’s in the barn or outside in the grass. They do however tend to hide a lot since we have several large chickens and this is a slow-developing silkie. But it’s been really interesting watching them learn to walk and stand with their good leg. Despite the deformation, they get around fairly easily.