Baby chick with broken knee?

[H.R. Cluck-N-Stuff]

Had a lot of chicks shipped, and in setting up the brooder I didn't notice a tiny crack between the divider door where I keep my young turkey hen and two bantam roosters, and when I came back to check the chicks I had 4 huddled in the corner, 1 dead by the door and this or one face into the dirt. I thought it was a goner, had a dwelt in the side of its face and looked too be favoring its neck to three left and right leg. Cleaned out the dirt from is eyes and set up a little hospital for it on soft cloth with a wash cloth to snuggle that I curl around it, a tray of chick food and a waterer with some marbles. I put a lamp on it and put it inside so far away from ants, since that's a problem.

I've been in to take it to the water dish a couple times a day, and it seemed to shuffle around in the food last night. After it got it off shock, the only thing wrong us its holding up that right leg and not extending it at the knee. The toes will curl or wiggle, but it won't extend it. If I support it with my finger in one side, it stands with the other.

I'm not sure the manuals I've read are clear what I can do for a knee.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Do you have photos of the chick and her leg?

She may have a slipped tendon, but with leg problems it can be hard to tell. Is the knee joint swollen? If you feel the knee joint does can you feel if the tendon is out of place?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/peachick-with-slipped-tendon.1092979/

Try to determine if the leg is broken or is it's slipped. Leg issues can be very hard to correct. If you splint or try to fix the leg she may also benefit by being placed in a chick chair for short periods of time. You will have to watch her so she doesn't flip out of the chair.
https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/chick-chair-broken-leg.963065/

 

[muddy75]

you can try splinting the legs and or making a chick chair/sling. if you search the forums, leg injury is a fairly common topic in young chicks. i chose no treatment and while my chick is smaller and developmentally delayed, he gets around the brooder well at 3.5 weeks.

 

[H.R. Cluck-N-Stuff]

you can try splinting the legs and or making a chick chair/sling. if you search the forums, leg injury is a fairly common topic in young chicks. i chose no treatment and while my chick is smaller and developmentally delayed, he gets around the brooder well at 3.5 weeks.

I've been reading a couple of the threads Before posting my own, ill be honest, I almost feel more comfortable not examining it or splinting it. I don't know that I can feel something so tiny and say its broken or supposed to be that way. I almost think the chick cup would be something in more apt to do, but how long do I give something to mend? I don't even know what's broken. I know in all likely hood the rooster pecked down at it. I'm surprised its not inured worse considering I found a dead field mouse the other week...

It seems to be in good health otherwise, wants to clean at itself, likes to be held and chirps contentedly when I do, I warm a little heating pad it likes to cuddle to.

Im considering giving it poultry nutri-drench but I'm concerned with the iron and calcium and sweetener. I don't want to attract ants and they're bad here now.

I don't think the photo I took shows what you'll want to see in their leg. I'll go take another, but it was the one I had on hand from last night

 

[H.R. Cluck-N-Stuff]

Better shots, she's such a good little patient...

 

[muddy75]

if you have the chick separated, it can be helpful to put a buddy in with it. i would try some nutridrench or save a chick to boost healing and continue observing and assisting as needed

 

[H.R. Cluck-N-Stuff]

I had a buddy in with it for an evening, the little chick seemed to want to get away from it for some reason. All be it, the chick I brought for a buddy seemed to gave some delay issues I made the choice to take the other chick out. I think I will bring it a buddy but not leave it in there. I feel kinda crappy talking a buddy for it that's doing good and isolating it to with this chick, also.

 

[muddy75]

i chose to leave my little hoppy in with the group vs separating him. he still gets knocked around a little bit by the other chicks but he gets mad if he’s too far away from them. just checked on them and he’s got a full crop and he seems to be using his bad leg more each week. They all got their first outdoor playtime yesterday. They enjoyed it even though it was very short due to rain starting.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Im considering giving it poultry nutri-drench but I'm concerned with the iron and calcium and sweetener. I don't want to attract ants and they're bad here now.

Such a sweet little thing.

I would give her Poultry Nutri-Drench directly - 1-3drops a day. I use a smaller syringe than that bulky dropper that comes with the bottle. Just drop a drop onto her beak, she should take it in. Nutri-Drench is formulated for all fowl, the ingredients won't hurt her. I would also crush up 1/4tablet of human B-Complex vitamins and add it to her feed daily. Nutri-Drench is a very good boost, but does not provide all the B's that she needs for leg health.

It's hard to tell if she has a slipped tendon or she may have an injury/dislocation.
Post #6 of this thread gives instruction to help correct if something is out of joint - it may not work though. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/1-5-week-old-splayed-leg-chick.1202510/#post-19057495

Leg issues can be very hard to fix. If a rooster got after her, then she may have other injuries and fails to thrive.

 

[H.R. Cluck-N-Stuff]

I was doing really good with her. She was even starting to use her other leg, and I got food poisoning and left het care to my fiance. He said everything was going good until that effing when a cow kicked the door of the barn and he thinks startled it to the point that it passes? I don't know I'm very distraught, I never take a day off, and the little thing was doing great, up and about, standing in her leg hr said she would be up at the after and that it was not too warm... it upset me a lot to hear she suddenly died.