3 Week Old Chick Randomly Has Twisted Leg

[Renada_]

I have a chick that hatched on or around March 1st. I just opened the brooder to check on them and her leg is twisted almost backwards. She doesn’t want to walk on it as much either, but she can use her toes. She is sitting on her hocks quite a bit though. I don’t know what to do about this. I’ll add a video and some pictures. Sorry about how dirty she is, I haven’t been able to clean her cage yet today :/

 

[Wyorp Rock]

What are you feeding?

It may be a leg bone deformity Varus-Valgus. Looks like it would be Valgus variation.
You had some troubles with the last hatch, right? What was the parent stock fed?

Usually there is nothing you can do to correct deformities. You can try vitamin therapy to see if it helps strengthen the legs. I would give 1/4 tablet B-Complex daily for a few weeks.

His legs are quite chunky for a 3wk old or it could be the angle of the images. What breed is he?

http://europepmc.org/backend/ptpmcrender.fcgi?accid=PMC1790586&blobtype=pdf

 

[Renada_]

What are you feeding?

It may be a leg bone deformity Varus-Valgus. Looks like it would be Valgus variation.
You had some troubles with the last hatch, right? What was the parent stock fed?

Usually there is nothing you can do to correct deformities. You can try vitamin therapy to see if it helps strengthen the legs. I would give 1/4 tablet B-Complex daily for a few weeks.

His legs are quite chunky for a 3wk old or it could be the angle of the images. What breed is he?

http://europepmc.org/backend/ptpmcrender.fcgi?accid=PMC1790586&blobtype=pdf

I’ve raised them the same way that I did my original chickens. I use the MannaPro Medicated Chick Starter for them, and this is the only one with problems. My hens eat Ranch Pro 15% egg ration. She is either a Russian orloff crossed with a Barred rock/Rhode Island Red, or she is a Rhode Island Red crossed with a barred rock. This is the only chick I have to have this problem, I had one that I assisted in hatching, but he passed away five days after. None of my other chicks are showing leg problems.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

You may want to up the protein in your parent stock during breeding season or supply them with poultry vitamins to help give them a boost.

 

[Renada_]

You may want to up the protein in your parent stock during breeding season or supply them with poultry vitamins to help give them a boost.

I will definitely do that!

 

[MilkFarmChickens]

I will definitely do that!

Did you find any solution to this? And did the chick make it so far? I have one that I bought from a local breeder who is doing this same thing….

 

[Renada_]

Did you find any solution to this? And did the chick make it so far? I have one that I bought from a local breeder who is doing this same thing….

No solution sadly, she was kept with the rest of her flock mates and is still currently alive we are actually leaning towards getting her an amputation and correction brace for her other leg due to it turning in from her twisted leg. We will also get her a prosthetic leg to wear and she may end up being an inside chicken! If it comes down to it though, we may end up having to cull her. Her movement is slowly getting worse the older she gets :/

 

[MilkFarmChickens]

No solution sadly, she was kept with the rest of her flock mates and is still currently alive we are actually leaning towards getting her an amputation and correction brace for her other leg due to it turning in from her twisted leg. We will also get her a prosthetic leg to wear and she may end up being an inside chicken! If it comes down to it though, we may end up having to cull her. Her movement is slowly getting worse the older she gets :/

Thank you so much for this info. I’m going to search for a correction brace right now… is this something you can order or are you having one made? My girl is an Ayam Cemani and she slept on my chest for half the day today while I worked on the computer. I can’t think to cull her without giving her a good effort. I love that you’re putting such effort into yours. I’m honestly glad that yours is at least still alive… that gives me some hope that it “could” be survived. Thank you for responding!

 

[Renada_]

Thank you so much for this info. I’m going to search for a correction brace right now… is this something you can order or are you having one made? My girl is an Ayam Cemani and she slept on my chest for half the day today while I worked on the computer. I can’t think to cull her without giving her a good effort. I love that you’re putting such effort into yours. I’m honestly glad that yours is at least still alive… that gives me some hope that it “could” be survived. Thank you for responding!

I will have to make the correction brace for when the time comes. I am so glad that me and Penny can give you some hope for you and your chick! I wish you the very best of luck with yours!