4 day old chick w/broken leg

[TJAnonymous]

OK, I've got a dilemma. My CCLB broody has only ONE chick. The chick is 4-5 days old now. Today is the first day the hen has brought the chick outside. She is extremely aggressive and overprotective so it's hard to get near the chick but this morning I realized the chick has a broken leg. Sorry for the blurry pictures but I was trying to hurry.

It's whole foot is flopped over sideways and it appears to be hobbling on its stump. Probably very painfully...

I'm not sure what to do? Do I try to get the chick from its overprotective mama and set the foot? I'm worried about shock. Or do I just let nature take its course and see what happens?

 

[TJAnonymous]

Managed to get the chick away from mama. Here's the break

 

[TJAnonymous]

 

[TJAnonymous]

@azygous
@Eggcessive
@Wyorp Rock

Any experience with these types of injuries?

I currently have the chick in a little basket with heating pad and food/water. Should I just leave the leg alone and watch her?

 

[azygous]

Are the toes warm or cold? Is this the first you noticed the deformity? It looks like a genetic defect and not so much a broken leg. If it were broken, I'd expect trauma to the nerves and the toes might be cold due to lack of circulation.

Can you move the leg into a straight position? Be gentle and don't force it. If it's a fresh break, the part below the bend should flex and dangle rather than be stationary. If it's not moveable, it either fused into this position already or this chick hatched this way.

It's important to know if this is a genetic defect or an actual break.

 

[TJAnonymous]

Are the toes warm or cold? Is this the first you noticed the deformity? It looks like a genetic defect and not so much a broken leg. If it were broken, I'd expect trauma to the nerves and the toes might be cold due to lack of circulation.

Can you move the leg into a straight position? Be gentle and don't force it. If it's a fresh break, the part below the bend should flex and dangle rather than be stationary. If it's not moveable, it either fused into this position already or this chick hatched this way.

It's important to know if this is a genetic defect or an actual break.

OK, I had an opportunity to look closer. The foot does feel warm so I think it has circulation. It also is NOT dangling like it is broken. It seems stiff and the chick actively kicks with it when I pick her up so it does seem to be a deformation instead of a break.

So what do I do with that? If I give her back to her mother, will she be targeted because of a hobble? Is it safe to put her back? Or should I hand raise her instead?

 

[azygous]

She's going to have to survive with this somehow. I would put her back with the hen who seems willing to nurture the chick. I think it has a better chance with the hen and being accepted in spite of the deformity.

Since the chick knows nothing other than getting around with a deformed foot, it will likely learn to deal with this. It shouldn't be a major impediment to survival other than slowing it some in the event it would need to flee a predator.

 

[TJAnonymous]

OK, I took her back to her mama who attacked me and drew blood.... But she did take her baby back although she trampled the poor thing several times in her obsession with attacking me.

 

[azygous]

If that fierce, take no prisoners broody has accepted the chick back, you have zero worries about its care.

I swear broody hens invented feminism.

 

[Bonkerelli]

I have/had chickens with deformities.. this year in fact. One had no bone in one toe so walking was very difficult.. the chick only survived a few just under two weeks from another matter. My other chicken which is now approaching three months has curled toes (born with it). She learned how to walk with her knuckles. One foot is worse that the other but, she can perch, scratch, and gets around just fine. She can't really run but still fast enough to be hard to catch!