baby chick with deformed leg

[Shalva Levine]

Hi, my name is Shalva Levine. I am from Israel. 5 chicks of Sussex hatched on last Friday, June 20th. When I transferred them to the box where I keep them for the 2 weeks, I found that one chick cannot stand on one leg. It seems that it hurts the chick if I touch the leg. I do not know if it is inflammation. Is there any ointment or anything that can be done ?

 

[DuckyGirl4001]

I would probably separate this chick from the rest until it gets a little stronger. My friend has a goose with a deformed leg that is now grown up and is perfectly healthy! However, you might want to check this out: http://www.metzerfarms.com/Spraddleleg.cfm?CustID=2668673

 

[Peeps61]

I had a Black Sex Link hen with a deformed leg. She learned to operate with her good egg and just use the deformed leg to help her navigate. She could outrun me, so I'd say she was pretty successful! She still gives me close to five eggs a week on the average, so it did not hurt her ability to lay. She will fly up into the coop or hop up the ladder, just like the other hens. Yours will figure it out too as it gets stronger.

 

[Peeps61]

Ha ha! I meant, "Good LEG" not egg!

 

[happyhens1972]

Is the leg positioned normally in relation to the pelvis? It may just be spraddle leg which is easy to fix but needs to be done soon.

 

[MeepBeep]

Look at the leg and see if it's a slipped tendon, if so it's real easy to reset the tendon but it might pop back out after resetting... I just reset one of my peafowls tendons, it popped out a few times before it stayed in place but it did eventually stay where it's supposed to be... I did isolate that bird and wrap his leg straight for two days so that the tendon locked into place, he was a mess for those two days with a kickstand for a leg but within an hour or so of removing the bandage about 48 hours later he was as good as new...

 

[Shalva Levine]

It does not look like straddle from the hip, but from the elbow. The chick is now 5 days old. I will try using band aid to straighten the elbow. Do I have to really separate it from the rest ?
Thanks for all the advice.

 

[MeepBeep]

If it's from the hock (elbow) it's probably a slipped tendon, pick the chick up in your hand, lay it on it's back and stretch that leg backwards and straight as if the chick was doing a morning stretch, now run you fingers from the top down, down the sides of the leg squeezing a bit as you get near the hock you should feel a tendon pop back into place... There is a groove on the back that it's supposed to ride in but it sometimes pops out and to the side... Take some vet wrap or a bandage and wrap the hock up to hold the tendon where it should be, unwrap and check every few hours to make sure it has not popped out again... Yes the chick will hobble like mad with the leg wrapped but it will allow the tendon to reset in place... You can also give the chick some vitamins (Poly-Vi-Sil) two or three drops twice a day to help... I kept my peachick wrapped for 48 hours (once it stayed in place, it popped out a few times before it actually stayed put) and that did the trick...

Here is a picture I Photoshopped to show what a slipped tendon looks like, it originally showed snapped tendons...

 

[DuckyGirl4001]

I would seperate it from the rest if it seems to not be getting enough food/water or is being bullied by the rest. You can certainly put it back when it gets stronger .

 

[Shalva Levine]

Thank you all for your help. I separated the chick from the others. The elbow is bruised and has open wound. I applied some neospurin ointment on the bruise and covered it with gauze. I hope this helps to heal. I was not able to try to move the tendon.