8 wk old Cochin What LEG PROBLEM? UPDATE **VIDEO** 1st post

[Half-a-dozen]

I have an 8 week old partridge cochin roo.
For the past 3 weeks, he has been hobbling thru life...

He eats, drinks, tries to catch flies bugs etc... but lies around most of the good day due to his legs.

As far as I am aware He HAS NOT been injured. I also checked for obvious leg issues/ injuries and found NOTHING...also a little hard to see with all of the hock feathers in the way.

It seems to be BOTH legs....as he hobbles side to side and does not favor just one or limp.

when he was a chick he seemed fine but now as he is getting older it seems to be getting worse.
He is not around any birds that are bigger than he is (he is the biggest in his coop.) There is no other bird bothering him, chasing him, picking at him etc... EVERYTHING in life for him appears to be fine except his legs.

any particular "leg problems" known to these type of birds???
What are your guesses on this one???
Thanks for yor help!

Video and Some pics of him below... ** at the end of the video you could see how he is not really putting the weight on his toes, it seems he is walking on the balls of his foot pads mostly, his toes seem to just dangle there...**

 

[love-my-wolves]

Do you have a pic? Do you know for sure he's a cochin, and not a cornish????

 

[Half-a-dozen]

Definately a cochin, He has feathered feet. Cornish don't have feathered feet do they?

I'll post a pic..... be right back....

 

[Half-a-dozen]

ok I put the pics of him on the first page.....

 

[sammi]

could he be a mix of cornish and cochin?

what do you feed?

could he have something wrong with his hips or leg joints?
does he walk normally?

it look like in the pic..that maybe his legs are set a bit far apart

I have a cochin hen with leg problems..her legs are set wide apart, and she has a kind of side to side walk..
and always has trouble getting up on a roost..
I've had her for a long time..she was one of my first..and she was like that when I got her..and didn't know anything.

 

[Half-a-dozen]

well...he is big but not heavy like he would be mixed with cornish. I bought him from the feed store and they said it was a partidge cochin... but with those feed store ya never can tell what your gettin....

I feed starter chick still...he's just 8 weeks.

Hip/Joint problems?? Idunno... certainly could be, I see no injury and he walks almost like both feet are sensitive to touching the ground. I touched and gently palpated all his joints (hocks, hips) at the hock area joint ...he kindof moans....

 

[sammi]

check the bottoms of his feet for any sores or scabs..or sensitive spots.

check closely the feather shafts on his legs...see if they look sore.
sometimes the leg feather shafts get irritated and sore..make sure he doesn't have any mites..


when you say he moans..does it seem like he's in pain when you palpate his legs?

is there any chance you'd be able to get an xray?

 

[Half-a-dozen]

Quote:
No scabs/sores or mites That I can see....he does have a lot of scruffy feathers there tho....
No chance of an x-ray (no vets around here that deal with chickens)...unless I took him to my ER...

wouldn't that be a hoot! I could see it now...they'd be admitting me...

 

[love-my-wolves]

Ok, I hope Cyn doesn't mind, but she has this great idea for Zane, her roo that couldn't walk. A bowling ball bag. Here is the link. This is probably not a long term thing, but it is working for Zane. Maybe give it a try? I'm sure you could find a bowling bag somewhere, or just improvise. Good luck!!!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=56204

 

[dlhunicorn]

I think Zane has a completely different problem...

I would suggest you give this bird (and the "runty" one some polyvisol enfamil formulation (childrens A-B-D liquid vitamins) > three drops a day in beak for one week then taper off the next and if you can possibly do so order some aviaCharge 2000 (from McMurray or Strombergs online) to regularly supplement their feed with :
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/319/avoiding-poultry-leg-foot-problems
(excerpt)
".... Nutritional deficiencies of Vitamin D3 causes soft bones and an increase in lameness in chicks...."