3 Baby Chicks 3 Different Issues.... I think?

[Kershylyn]

This is pictures of chicks 1 2 & 3. I got baby chick number 3 on 2-25-15 and 1 & 2 on 02-23-15 chick 3 is the whitish one that is laying down in one pic. It was attempting to stand up on sprawled leg when I first got it. I think it is getting worse.


This bottom pic is from when I first got chick 3.

 

[Jrose]

Physical therapy will be the key. And patience, time, and much cheering on. Like I said, supporting most of their weight while letting them try and use their legs on the ground is a good routine. Very gently back off your support and let their legs feel their body weight. They won't be able to hold themselves up, but it's good work. Keep stretching! Stretch stretch stretch! Get those toes and hocks uncurled. Use the chick chair- if you can, place the 'hammock'/chair just high enough so their feet can touch a hard surface and they can 'stand' normally, with the support of the chair, for several minutes. This is a good time to feed them- like a kid in a high chair

Your'e doing awesome! Keep it up, don't give up on em! I'm sure they'll pull through. 3 has got to be a lot more work than just one!

I don't know about the mouth to mouth- it obviously didn't hurt it much, it's living, so whatever you did you did right

 

[Jrose]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/880298/chick-cant-walk-help#post_13412365

Here's an old thread I posted about my own chick. Someone posted some good info on rehab here.

 

[Kershylyn]

Well, I just wanted to let you know how the babies are. Chick one, which I now feel I can name, don't know what yet. Anyway # 1 is doing fabulous as always! It is fat fluffy and healthy, curled toes almost completely gone, except one toe, which I think will work itself out. Chick 2 is still walking on it's hocks but the curled toes are gone. Any suggestions on how to get it off it's hocks? I don't think the physical therapy is helping, still doing it tho. Other than runny poops, it's good. Chick # 3 is doing amazing!! Eating, drinking, walking better and hopping. It is still keeping it's splayed leg stiff but it is standing 90% of the time. I am worried a little about that but I figure with physical therapy it will strengthen and work itself out. Any other advice would be appreciated. I am not as stressed and I finally think chick 3 will be more than normal soon and hopefully my kids can name them soon. I love the little grey one, # 1 and it likes me too, It comes up to my hand all the time and wants to be held. I've got to think of a special name.

 

[Jrose]

Well, I just wanted to let you know how the babies are. Chick one, which I now feel I can name, don't know what yet. Anyway # 1 is doing fabulous as always! It is fat fluffy and healthy, curled toes almost completely gone, except one toe, which I think will work itself out. Chick 2 is still walking on it's hocks but the curled toes are gone. Any suggestions on how to get it off it's hocks? I don't think the physical therapy is helping, still doing it tho. Other than runny poops, it's good. Chick # 3 is doing amazing!! Eating, drinking, walking better and hopping. It is still keeping it's splayed leg stiff but it is standing 90% of the time. I am worried a little about that but I figure with physical therapy it will strengthen and work itself out. Any other advice would be appreciated. I am not as stressed and I finally think chick 3 will be more than normal soon and hopefully my kids can name them soon. I love the little grey one, # 1 and it likes me too, It comes up to my hand all the time and wants to be held. I've got to think of a special name.

Awesome! Yes, keep up the good work! To keep it off its hocks I would suggest combining sandals with hobbles, force the legs to remain a normal width apart and disallow the feet to curl under with the sandals. And jeep the chick with splaying legs hobbled for at least 24 or 48 hours. I left my girl in hobbles for 2 days. When I took them off she was good as gold.

Woohoo!

 

[Kershylyn]

Well, I did exactly what you told me to do and unfortunately I think that chick # 2, that is sitting on it's Hock's far too much, is broken. I guess that I didn't think about doing the Hobble soon enough. It was about 3 or 4 days old when I put the Hobble on, put sandals on on day 2. I really am begging to think that it may have either tore a hock tendon or something?. It's Hocks were slightly swollen before, due to sitting on Hocks constantly, but the leg that it is not walking on is moderately swollen compared to other. It is rarely putting any weight on it. I have put it in a cup to make it want to stand up, I have tried to help it walk for 2 days, It is getting worse. Now it is leaning on everything and the other chicks when it drinks. I really am sick of watching it suffer. I'm starting to think aspirin or put it down. Starting to loose hope?

 

[Jrose]

Well, I did exactly what you told me to do and unfortunately I think that chick # 2, that is sitting on it's Hock's far too much, is broken. I guess that I didn't think about doing the Hobble soon enough. It was about 3 or 4 days old when I put the Hobble on, put sandals on on day 2. I really am begging to think that it may have either tore a hock tendon or something?. It's Hocks were slightly swollen before, due to sitting on Hocks constantly, but the leg that it is not walking on is moderately swollen compared to other. It is rarely putting any weight on it. I have put it in a cup to make it want to stand up, I have tried to help it walk for 2 days, It is getting worse. Now it is leaning on everything and the other chicks when it drinks. I really am sick of watching it suffer. I'm starting to think aspirin or put it down. Starting to loose hope?

My chick was a 2 days old when I got her, struggling to survive. She was over a week old before she was 'normal', so I don't know if it's a matter of being 'too late'.

The swelling is usually associated with a slipped tendon, so I've been told. Luckily my chick didn't have any swelling and had no tendon issues. But if it's a slipped tendon, there's no fixing it,from what I understand. The bird will have no quality of life- you could look into remedies for a slipped tendon, but I'm not aware of a cure or aid. So sorry to hear it! How are the other two?