3 week old poult leg injury- won't let me view other threads like this so have to post a new one

[IrishAngel1216]

Hello. I know this has been posted before and I was reading posts yesterday, but today, it won't let me read any posts and says they were removed, so thank you for understanding.

Our baby chicks, poults and duck are 3.5 weeks old. This sweet baby is miserable with his/her leg like this. I'm not sure if something happened to the leg to cause an injury, or if this is something else. I was reading threads yesterday and doing some research. I tried an electrolyte recipe. This sweet baby is eating and drinking while isolated. Still in the same area as the others, but safely cordoned off so not completely alone.

I'm new to chickens, but my BF grew up around them at his father's place. My heart is hurting because I'm afraid I inadvertently did something I shouldn't have or didn't do something I should have.

Any and all constructive advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

[Cecisflock]

was she born deformed?

 

[Tonyroo]

That looks like a birth defect. Is it walking normal or making odd movements?

 

[IrishAngel1216]

No, this just started Tuesday night. The turkeys have been, by far, the friendliest, always running up to me to pick them up and pet them. They follow me around everywhere. Then, I noticed he/she was limping. Then, yesterday morning it looked like that.

was she born deformed?

 

[IrishAngel1216]

That looks like a birth defect. Is it walking normal or making odd movements?

He/she was completely fine until Tuesday evening. The turkeys have always coming running up to me since they arrived. They love to be petted and let me hold them. They follow me everywhere. Today, when checking on my baby just now, the other two roosted on top of the fencing that separates them the entire time I was filling feeders and holding this one. The turkeys have always loved attention.

 

[Tonyroo]

No, this just started Tuesday night. The turkeys have been, by far, the friendliest, always running up to me to pick them up and pet them. They follow me around everywhere. Then, I noticed he/she was limping. Then, yesterday morning it looked like that.

Is it twisted a quarter way towards the other leg? That's what it seems to look like.

 

[IrishAngel1216]

Is it twisted a quarter way towards the other leg? That's what it seems to look like.

It's straight, aside from being held funny when laying on the side. It started out that the joint in the foot was a little swollen and the bird was limping. That's how I noticed it Tuesday night. I've held all three poults and never noticed an issue with any of them. Then, yesterday, it seemed the leg was swollen a bit as well. Today, he/she tucked it up under and laid normal for a bit, although, tends to lay outstretched, which he/she never did before. The few chicks that we've had die, were stretched out when they died. That's why it scared me to see this one laying like that twice when I went to check yesterday. I've gotten so attached to these little babies.

 

[Tonyroo]

Sounds like a sprain tendon, have you tried soaking the leg in warm Epson salt water and massaging the leg a bit? The muscles in the birds leg might be inflamed which is making her do the leg stretches.

 

[IrishAngel1216]

Thank you so much for your reply! I will try that and see how it goes!

 

[IrishAngel1216]

Update:

I've soaked the poults leg several times as suggested, and kept him/her well fed and watered. The leg doesn't seem as swollen, he/she is laying normally minus the leg sticking out a little (MUCH improved over how he/she was laying before), and he/she is walking on it, hobbles over to me again, and keeps escaping the separate area he/she was in. The foot sticks out laterally, and he/she limps. Will this continue to improve with time? Will the leg always be deformed now? Is there something else I should be doing? It's so hard waiting to see what happens. I feel like I should be doing more, but I also know that sometimes, things just take time and steady care. TIA!