Baby chick with a swollen hip?

[sable43140]

does it click when you try to move it gently?

Not when I move, but there is a clicking noise, almost when he breathes. He's soaking in epsom salts now, his poor skin looks like a bubble about to pop.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

View attachment 1560050
This looks like a bruise, lots of fluid under the joint.

Not when I move, but there is a clicking noise, almost when he breathes. He's soaking in epsom salts now, his poor skin looks like a bubble about to pop.

@casportpony

Is it fluid under the skin or air?

 

[WVduckchick]

I’m not seeing the bubble, but I’m on mobile, sometimes hard to make out in pics. Where are you seeing a bubble?

I used to breed lav orps. I had one hatch with a bubble on her neck/shoulder. She scratched it so badly, she did rip the skin. I separated her with one friend, used some neosporin on it a few times and it healed just fine. She grew up to be a happy hen.
Another male developed a bubble on the back of his head which also cleared up on its own. I did nothing to it. Was debating draining it, but within a few days, it was gone. Not sure if it’s something with them or what, but I never had the issues again, with the LOs or any other breed.

How’s the leg issue? I had to cull a few LOs with hip issues. It was usually larger chicks that seemed to get positioned incorrectly while incubating.

 

[Eggcessive]

Chicken have 9 air sacs throughout their bodies, and they breathe by pulling air into the body like a bellows through the air sacs. Sometimes an air sac can be ruptured, allowing air to get under the skin causing a poofy area. Clicking breathing may sometimes happen with leaking air sacs, at least my one experience with it did. That could be the reason for the puffiness. If it is not a severe problem causing breathing trouble, a leaking air sac should be left alone. But if there is, it can be deflated with a needle inserted under the skin.

Just in case this is what the swelling is from, here is a few links to read about treatment:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/deflating-subcutaneous-emphysema.171121/

http://ijasvm.com/ijasvmadmin/upload/IJASVM_5113cbc51d31b.pdf

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/6/diseases-of-poultry/223/subcutaneous-emphysema/

 

[sable43140]

@casportpony

Is it fluid under the skin or air?

I would say it's more like air now that I look at it again, we put him in a suspended sling after soaking it in epsom salts. It's like a tiny balloon.

 

[sable43140]

I’m not seeing the bubble, but I’m on mobile, sometimes hard to make out in pics. Where are you seeing a bubble?

I used to breed lav orps. I had one hatch with a bubble on her neck/shoulder. She scratched it so badly, she did rip the skin. I separated her with one friend, used some neosporin on it a few times and it healed just fine. She grew up to be a happy hen.
Another male developed a bubble on the back of his head which also cleared up on its own. I did nothing to it. Was debating draining it, but within a few days, it was gone. Not sure if it’s something with them or what, but I never had the issues again, with the LOs or any other breed.

How’s the leg issue? I had to cull a few LOs with hip issues. It was usually larger chicks that seemed to get positioned incorrectly while incubating.

It is so odd, I never would've thought it would be a bubble, I just immediately assumed it was swelling! He hobbles on his leg and there's a clicking noise when he breathes. We ended up suspending him in a sling to see if the swelling/bubble goes down, but if it's a bubble do I just let it pop? I'm really just not sure! This little guy was the only natural hatch we've had, but it was a first time momma so I don't know if he got stepped on or anything. He's only two weeks old, and seemed fine at first.

 

[Eggcessive]

The air can be reabsorbed by the body gradually if he is not in any breathing distress.

 

[sable43140]

Well, 'Breezy' is doing great, found out he had subcutaneous emphysema, a ruptured air sac that accumulated under the skin. We bought 22 ml sterile needles from our local feed store and 'popped' the excess everyday for five days till it finally healed on its own! After some research looks like you could probably achieve the same result with a sanitized safety pin, but to each his own. Thank you community for your help!

 

[Eggcessive]

Thank you for the update, and so glad to hear that you were able to help her get healthy again.