6 day old chick with sore leg :(

[Lazygaze]

Hi everyone. I have a 6day old chick who has a limp, she rests a lot, she still eats and drinks and can move around but is obviously in discomfort. I checked her leg and she is swollen at the joint how can I help her? I have isolated her but she gets sad, I have one other chick who is calmer that the others (I have 4 in total) who I put in with her but even that chick being a normal healthy chick is a bit boisterous. Will her leg ever get better?! I’m so sad for her. Can I help her in any way?

 

[azygous]

It could be a slipped tendon. Try this. Gently pull the upper part of chick's leg a bit behind normal position and then carefully straighten the leg as though chick were stretching its leg back. The tendon should pop back into place pretty easily and cause little if any pain.

You can dissolve an aspirin in the drinking water for pain relief. You can also dissolve a B-complex tablet in the same water to help strengthen the legs.

 

[Lazygaze]

It could be a slipped tendon. Try this. Gently pull the upper part of chick's leg a bit behind normal position and then carefully straighten the leg as though chick were stretching its leg back. The tendon should pop back into place pretty easily and cause little if any pain.

You can dissolve an aspirin in the drinking water for pain relief. You can also dissolve a B-complex tablet in the same water to help strengthen the legs.

It could be a slipped tendon. Try this. Gently pull the upper part of chick's leg a bit behind normal position and then carefully straighten the leg as though chick were stretching its leg back. The tendon should pop back into place pretty easily and cause little if any pain.

You can dissolve an aspirin in the drinking water for pain relief. You can also dissolve a B-complex tablet in the same water to help strengthen the legs.

Thank you for your reply! Please could you explain in a little more detail- which direction- do you mean

 

[Lazygaze]

Thank you for your reply! Please could you explain in a little more detail- which direction- do you mean

It could be a slipped tendon. Try this. Gently pull the upper part of chick's leg a bit behind normal position and then carefully straighten the leg as though chick were stretching its leg back. The tendon should pop back into place pretty easily and cause little if any pain.

You can dissolve an aspirin in the drinking water for pain relief. You can also dissolve a B-complex tablet in the same water to help strengthen the legs.

Urgh sorry for multiple replies. Thank you for your message. Can you clarify how much aspirin / b complex in how much water? Also, could I damage her more if it’s a sprain and not a displaced tendon?

 

[azygous]

If you do this very gently, it shouldn't damage her leg further. Lay the chick on your lap on her tummy with her legs dangling over your thigh. Gently stretch the sore leg downward as far as it will go as if she's standing. Then elevate the leg slightly as if she was going to kick behind her, then stretch it gently in that position as far as it will go. You may feel the leg click into place if the tendon had been dislocated.

Wetting a small cloth in warm water and applying the moist heat to the swollen leg can help reduce pain and encourage tissue healing.

Take a fourth of a tablet of B-complex and drop it into her cup of warm water. Add a tiny bit of sugar. Add one 81 grain aspirin in the water. Let her drink from this as her sole water source. Be sure to have marbles or round rocks in the cup so she doesn't fall in and drown.

 

[Lazygaze]

If you do this very gently, it shouldn't damage her leg further. Lay the chick on your lap on her tummy with her legs dangling over your thigh. Gently stretch the sore leg downward as far as it will go as if she's standing. Then elevate the leg slightly as if she was going to kick behind her, then stretch it gently in that position as far as it will go. You may feel the leg click into place if the tendon had been dislocated.

Wetting a small cloth in warm water and applying the moist heat to the swollen leg can help reduce pain and encourage tissue healing.

Take a fourth of a tablet of B-complex and drop it into her cup of warm water. Add a tiny bit of sugar. Add one 81 grain aspirin in the water. Let her drink from this as her sole water source. Be sure to have marbles or round rocks in the cup so she doesn't fall in and drown.

Ok, thank you for this more detailed explanation! I’ll try to follow these instructions and I will let you know what happens.. I’m concerned as I know she will struggle and put up a fight and I really don’t want to injure her further but I will give it a go.
Sorry to ask again but when you say ‘her cup of water’, is that an American measure of a cup? So 200-250ml? I’m in UK and we don’t use cups as measurements I also had to look up 81 grain aspirin- I’d never heard that before! I think it’s what we call ‘baby aspirin’..
Thanks again for your kind help x

 

[azygous]

A tea cup's worth. No exact measurement necessary. They now call baby aspirin in the US "chewable" since aspirin given to children can cause Reye's syndrome.

Since you are diluting the aspirin, you can use a quarter of an adult aspirin. Aspirin has a bad rap, but it's a wonderful anti-inflamatory as well as natural pain reliever. Chickens tolerate it well.

To calm any chick or chicken, and it's good to do this to avoid accidents, place your hand gently on the head and exert a very slight downward pressure while making a "shushing" sound. You will be amazed how well this works. Keep doing it until the chick relaxes. It may even fall asleep. I've had big, hunky roosters fall asleep in my lap using the technique. They then allow me to do anything I want to them.

 

[Lazygaze]

A tea cup's worth. No exact measurement necessary. They now call baby aspirin in the US "chewable" since aspirin given to children can cause Reye's syndrome.

Since you are diluting the aspirin, you can use a quarter of an adult aspirin. Aspirin has a bad rap, but it's a wonderful anti-inflamatory as well as natural pain reliever. Chickens tolerate it well.

To calm any chick or chicken, and it's good to do this to avoid accidents, place your hand gently on the head and exert a very slight downward pressure while making a "shushing" sound. You will be amazed how well this works. Keep doing it until the chick relaxes. It may even fall asleep. I've had big, hunky roosters fall asleep in my lap using the technique. They then allow me to do anything I want to them.

Morning! We did everything you said and it was amazing how calm she was and how she allowed her leg to be manipulated. There was a small pop, we are going to try to gently manipulate it more throughout the day as she seemed to actively enjoy it! She is still limping- I think I was hoping there’d be a pop and then she would be magically cured but in reality I guess that’s not how it would go as she has been limping all her life. She is resting now. Off to get some aspirin now!

 

[Lazygaze]

Morning! We did everything you said and it was amazing how calm she was and how she allowed her leg to be manipulated. There was a small pop, we are going to try to gently manipulate it more throughout the day as she seemed to actively enjoy it! She is still limping- I think I was hoping there’d be a pop and then she would be magically cured but in reality I guess that’s not how it would go as she has been limping all her life. She is resting now. Off to get some aspirin now!

Hi again, I have a question, if you don’t mind helping me again I’d be so grateful!
My yellow chick is really enjoying her ‘physio’, she relaxes into my partners hand for him to manipulate her leg now. My question is that it seems to have caused her leg to splay out to the side a bit, I suspect because her muscles are not yet developed enough to hold it straight like her siblings. Should I make a wrap to go around her legs like you have to for spraddle leg? Would it help her, and what should I make it out of? Stretchy or non stretchy fabric?
Thank yooou!