We purchased chicks from a local feed store last Friday. It is now the following Friday so we have had them a week. I am not 100 percent sure of their hatch date but my guess is that they are a week old.
On Monday, we noticed that one of the chicks was keeping her right leg up when at the feeder or waterer. I kept checking on her and at one point she was laying under the heat plate with the others stepping on her. I separated her from the others to keep her from getting trampled to death. She is in a box with a mama heating pad since we don't have any lights or heat plates. She is eating and drinking, although she often needs help getting to the food and water. I do put her food under the heating pad so she doesn't have to go as far. I can't get the waterer underneath there though so I try to put it as close as I can.
I am just not sure what is wrong with her leg. She holds it up and her toes are curled. When I put my finger on her toes she doesn't grab onto them or even move them. I have examined her leg and the heel joint right below the hock looks a bit swollen but I honestly can't tell. I checked for a slipped tendon and I don't think she has one but I am not 100 percent sure what to look for. We have had 3 batches of chicks before the current one and this is the first time I have had a chick like this.
I am posting to see if you all could help me answer these questions:
1) What is wrong with her? I have included pictures. Maybe you can see something I am missing. Our original thought was that she hurt it jumping/falling off the heat plate or maybe it got stepped on. My son said he saw her moving her toes on Monday but now they are not moving.
2) Should I try to splint the leg or is there some other way I can help give her some stability? She does use her wings to stabilize herself but she is still really wobbly when trying to eat or drink. She often will jump in our hand, which helps her to be stable enough to eat or drink. I was thinking that if I could help her to be more stable then she could do more on her own.
3) I know that some leg problems are the result of vitamin deficiencies. I have vitamins in her water. I have been giving her a drop of nutradrench once or twice a day since she isn't eating as much. She is smaller than the others. Is there anything else I should be giving her? Should I stop the nutradrench and give her something else?
She is not in pain as far as I can tell. She doesn't seem to be suffering so at this time we are not interested in culling her.
I have attached photos of her legs as well as her set up in case I need to modify anything. I did move one of the waters closer after I took the picture.
On Monday, we noticed that one of the chicks was keeping her right leg up when at the feeder or waterer. I kept checking on her and at one point she was laying under the heat plate with the others stepping on her. I separated her from the others to keep her from getting trampled to death. She is in a box with a mama heating pad since we don't have any lights or heat plates. She is eating and drinking, although she often needs help getting to the food and water. I do put her food under the heating pad so she doesn't have to go as far. I can't get the waterer underneath there though so I try to put it as close as I can.
I am just not sure what is wrong with her leg. She holds it up and her toes are curled. When I put my finger on her toes she doesn't grab onto them or even move them. I have examined her leg and the heel joint right below the hock looks a bit swollen but I honestly can't tell. I checked for a slipped tendon and I don't think she has one but I am not 100 percent sure what to look for. We have had 3 batches of chicks before the current one and this is the first time I have had a chick like this.
I am posting to see if you all could help me answer these questions:
1) What is wrong with her? I have included pictures. Maybe you can see something I am missing. Our original thought was that she hurt it jumping/falling off the heat plate or maybe it got stepped on. My son said he saw her moving her toes on Monday but now they are not moving.
2) Should I try to splint the leg or is there some other way I can help give her some stability? She does use her wings to stabilize herself but she is still really wobbly when trying to eat or drink. She often will jump in our hand, which helps her to be stable enough to eat or drink. I was thinking that if I could help her to be more stable then she could do more on her own.
3) I know that some leg problems are the result of vitamin deficiencies. I have vitamins in her water. I have been giving her a drop of nutradrench once or twice a day since she isn't eating as much. She is smaller than the others. Is there anything else I should be giving her? Should I stop the nutradrench and give her something else?
She is not in pain as far as I can tell. She doesn't seem to be suffering so at this time we are not interested in culling her.
I have attached photos of her legs as well as her set up in case I need to modify anything. I did move one of the waters closer after I took the picture.
