8-week old chick with leg/wing injury

[East-side chix]

I have an 8-week-old golden sex-link chick. She was housed with 3 other sex-link chicks in a dog exercise pen surrounded by chicken wire as a brooder area, inside the main coop but separated from 3 older hens. Last Saturday, somehow the chicken wire worked loose enough that she could get partly out, and was trapped in the area between the enclosure and the far wall. We were gone for the day, so don't know how long she was trapped. Her left wing and leg were particularly trapped with residual injury. She has been inside the house since then while she recovers. She has been eating and drinking well, poop looks normal. Her wing seems just a little weak, improved from totally not moving it. She can move it pretty normally now. She snuggles right up when I pick her up.

Her leg, however, has some unresolved issues. There are no broken bones, and it was not dislocated. She can put light weight on it, though when she first stands up it crosses over the right leg with the toes curled into a ball. She can straighten the toes after a while and stand on both legs. She does lurch when she tries to walk, and doesn't stand for more than a few minutes at a time. She likely may have some residual nerve damage to that limb.

So, the question is: Can a crippled bird thrive with normal hens, or should I cull her now (before I get really emotionally attached), or introduce her back into the flock 1 bird at a time and see how it goes?

 

[Eggcessive]

I would give her a few days to heal. Provide some chick vitamins, such as poultry NutriDrench or Poultry Cell 1 ml daily. You could also use 1/2 tablet of vitamin B complex added to her feed or a little cooked egg. Since she is eating and drinking, she may have a good chance to improve. Let her spend as much time with the other 3 pullets, but watch out to make sure that is not bullied.

 

[East-side chix]

Thanks so much. Didn't know about chicken vitamins...definitely will get some.