3-day-old chick - injured, deformed or spraddle? UPDATE on post #6

[BarkerChickens]

We got our chicks yesterday and one of the mottled Javas has had issues from the get go. The left leg is to the side rear, while the right leg is normal. We figured spraddle, but we've never had experience with it. The chick can walk, though slowly and very clumsy. We've done the band-aid thing below the "knee" joint, just above the feet (too fuzzy above the joint). The chick still walks very clumsily (it's been ~24hrs, so I know it's kinda early). But, to me (not worth much!) it seem to be in the hock/hip area. The leg feels fine..no break, no swelling, no obvious pain, no blood,etc. We got 51 chicks, so maybe it happened as an injury? Birth defect? If it is spraddle, can it occur in one leg? I am not gonna cull the chick. It can eat, drink, it's happy, LOUD, etc. Just VERY clumsy and handicapped in the one leg. I'd like to correct it if possible (whatever it may be).

Anyone have any ideas and/or suggestions?

ETA: The chick does not drag it's leg, the leg just doesn't sit in the right place and causes VERY poor balance and movement.

 

[JennsPeeps]

Here are some posts I found using the search feature - these seemed to be the most relevant to your situation. I searched on "sideways leg". You could try other variations to find additional posts.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=133209
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=79287
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=16380

BTW, I used the search on the blue bar rather than the google search. I prefer that one.

 

[PQ]

Quote:
Oh I wish I had know about these at christmas when we hatched thanks for finding them we have copied and are printing them know to put in our chick info book or Chick-in book as we call it here.
BarkerChickens I hope these help you so you dont have to take your chicks life like we did.

 

[KareyABohr]

I have a gosling like that right now as we speak. The "cure" if it really isn't a deformity is to get viamins into the h2o ASAP. Also let her outside to graze on green grass and such. The tender grass shoots will bring her out of it very quickly!
Good luck.

 

[BarkerChickens]

DH and I have both done searches on this site and did find the link to the poultryhelp.com site regarding the band-aid method to treat spraddle. We just aren't sure if it is spraddle or not. Thank you for those posts...the last one sounds similar.

We have Poly-Vi-Sol for our chickens...I just never thought about adding it to the chick water! That is a great idea! I will do that right now!

We are doing our best, but it is sure is difficult to treat something when we aren't exactly sure that is the problem. I haven't found a pick yet that looks like our chick. It surely isn't doing the wide splits like have seen in other pics! And, I don't think it is a tendon issue.

 

[BarkerChickens]

ok...it's DEFINITELY NOT spraddle! A friend was looking at the chick w/ the band-aid brace and noticed the foot turns out to the side. Not curled or anything...more like the leg is twisted outward. I did a search, but didn't find anything that related since the toes are normal.

Will the band-aid brace work well enough or can we do something else to correct it?