Baby chick with deformed feet? Update

[spook]

at that photo, you cannot tell if it has issues, at that age, he would have a time getting up. Only after they have poofed can you really tell what the issues are.
I have an Ameraucana, Frieda, that has curled toes and when I finally found this out, they were a week old. As long as she can keep up with the other girls, she sleeps on top of the nest box (I allow her to) and put shavings up there.
Of course if you cull now, you will not get attached.
You have the choice, I'd wait a day and perhaps nature will take its course.

 

[Melilem]

Well that chick might turn out a bit knock-kneed, but Im sure it will learn to walk. I have some cochins who have such wide hips that the chicks sometimes cant walk the first day. It is very funny to watch them kick their feet and pivot on their bottoms the first day. I really do have to get a video of that...

 

[JanieMarie]

Thanks for the input everyone. No I did not cull but something is definitely not right. She's so healthy otherwise! But she can't stand. Walks on her knees(elbows) with her feet up around her ears and spins around on her fluffy butt! I'll try and get a pic. The others aren't pecking at her so much now. So I've got 4 beautiful babies and 1 unique beautiful baby and that is 5 more than I ever expected!!!

 

[JanieMarie]

I have her separated now in a brooder with a heat lamp. The legs themselves don't seem deformed. Should I try a bandaid around her ankles? Anyone seen anything like this before?

 

[silkiechicken]

Ouch, now that one is a bit more out there than it looked when it was still wet. You can try splinting the legs together so that if it moves, it has to move its legs under itself. Almost seems as if the muscle that holds the legs towards the rear is missing/deformed for the legs to be so far up like that. I would give it a few days on splints, but if it doesn't improve, let it go. That's what I've done with the few that I've seen that "bent out of shape". I've been able to fix the ones which have the legs going out to the side.

 

[ZooMummzy]

I would definitely try splinting for a few days maybe even a week. I mean what do you have to lose? I've heard so many story of legs being fixed that I really feel it is always worth a try.

 

[CarlaRiggs]

Jane Marie ~
Search for 'spraddle leg' in previous posts. And here's a site with some good photographs to help you. http://www.poultryhelp.com/spraddle.html
Good luck! and please keep us posted.

Carla

 

[JanieMarie]

How do I splint and with what? First hatch here.

 

[JanieMarie]

Thanks. Checked out the site. The band aid is the splint? This condition didn't develop. She was this way this way fresh from the egg. I watched her hatch!

 

[ZooMummzy]

Quote:
I have only had to do it once but I used a band-aid for my 1 day old chick. I used the pad in the middle as my spacing guide, folding the sticky flaps over onto it. I'm sure others have different methods and Carla said, there are lots of threads on here for spraddle leg.

My chick's leg never fixed itself so she is my special needs house chicken. I'm not sure if she was born with the bad leg or not, I adopted her that way. It is a lot of work but I was in love with her and couldn't imagine culling her. It was nothing like your chick's legs, but I've heard about a lot of "miracle" things happening on here with deformed chicks.

This is a picture of her splint. She fell over a lot in food bowls, lol.

And this is her now...