4 day old LO stiff leg... what is it?

Roxannemc

Songster
7 Years
Mar 30, 2012
3,677
132
236
SE Missouri
This little Lavender orp guy was an assisted hatch Seemed too weak to do it. .Came out next day after the assist,Maybe he shouldnt have.
Hes 4 days old looks still 1 day.
Wouldnt eat at first or drink but got him to eat soft crumbles wih sugar water if i hold him and feed him off my finger not in the brooder but he loves is soft food eats well
Doesnt ever drink or eat dry crumbles in the brooder that I see
The others are growing big he looks first day hatched.
At first wouldnt take a step without sitting down after one or two one rocky steps then head went down and hed go to sleep right there but better now that he eats
Mainly now He can walk and does some but its as if one leg is stiff he stands on the front toes sort of.. and a little wobbly because of it. Maybe you can tell in the photo
i bent his legs and dont see a joint or foot problem ,.look the same .Is there a name for this condition and what do I do if anything?

Also his beak looks extra long to me and he eats weird.... sort of swipes his food as if he was cleaning his beak not so much a peck .Also his butt looks sort of big but maybe because hes not fatter like the rest... butt and foot..a hip problem?
See his foot up resting on just the front toes ?

 
Looks like maybe he has a bit of a weak ankle. Try doing some stretches & running it thru the full range of motion several times per day. As for feeding, if you have the time & patience to keep feeding it by hand until it decides to eat on it's own then go for it. The way it eats may have to do with the fact that you are feeding it moist food. Chickens will swipe sideways at wet food & try to get it unstuck from the sides of their beaks every few bites. I would watch the chick closely & make sure it keeps eating & drinking. If it's not getting enuf, it will become weak & be trampled by the other chicks & eventually die. Be prepared for the possibility of having to cull it or finding it cold in the bottom of the brooder some morning. In my experience, weak chicks have a very hard time surviving.
 

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