BABY CHICK WITH MESSED UP LEGS NEED HELP!

[Tortoise]

I watched multiple videos and looked online and a bunch of people used ponytails or rubber bands. Yeah I know once I saw the chicks leg I felt so bad. That’s why I’m on here asking for other solutions.

I know you didnt mean to cause any harm or mark's. It's just way too easy to cause damage, as you found out. Luckily yours is just left with a mark and didnt loose a leg. I mentioned it more for those reading as you already found out first hand how easy they can cause damage.

 

[MissChick@dee]

You could use foam hair rollers(Dollar Store)Cut to size with vet wrap on the outside. The rollers have a hole in the middle. Cut them length wise first then to the height you need on the leg. Wrap the outside with vet wrap. The foam will support the legs it won’t cut off circulation and it will be light enough that the chick can use its own muscles (build the muscles) when it walks. The rollers come in all sizes. They make tiny ones. That’s what I would try.
I just checked you can order them on line from Walmart.
Best wishes

 

[LillyCalkins63]

I know you didnt mean to cause any harm or mark's. It's just way too easy to cause damage, as you found out. Luckily yours is just left with a mark and didnt loose a leg. I mentioned it more for those reading as you already found out first hand how easy they can cause damage.

Yeah, thank you but do you have any ideas that could possibly help it with getting it straightened out?

 

[LillyCalkins63]

You could use foam hair rollers(Dollar Store)Cut to size with vet wrap on the outside. The rollers have a hole in the middle. Cut them length wise first then to the height you need on the leg. Wrap the outside with vet wrap. The foam will support the legs it won’t cut off circulation and it will be light enough that the chick can use its own muscles (build the muscles) when it walks. The rollers come in all sizes. They make tiny ones. That’s what I would try.
I just checked you can order them on line from Walmart.
Best wishes

Do I wrap the two legs together to keep them straight? Also how far up the leg do you recommend?

 

[MissChick@dee]

I would wrap each leg separate. Just above the knee. You could “nick” the foam where the leg bends... slice the foam so it gives at the joint just a bit. The good news is the rollers come in a set so you’ll have a few to play around with. The chick might be stiff legged as it walks but I believe the muscles could use the support...the chick is still growing so that’s a plus too. You’ll have to watch and learn. I could see that it might have ankle supports on for a while. I would start with the whole leg first...just above the knee.

 

[Tortoise]

Yeah, thank you but do you have any ideas that could possibly help it with getting it straightened out?

Sorry, I dont have chickens yet and when I was a vet assistant years ago we never seen chickens. What i do know in general with animals, I like MissChick@dee recommendation and using the foam. Getting the legs as straight as possible but where she can still walk and hopefully build up it's own strength to keep them straight.
If the legs still go wainky, you could try to make an H support to keep them straight and the proper space apart. She then might need a way to stay upright. I think a narrow hallway like enclosure would help with that. Keeping it just wide enough that she cant fall over. If the H is needed, she would need extra care to be sure she can get too water and food and too rest.
I'm not good at explaining things in writing, so hope you can understand what I'm saying. Hopefully just each leg being wrapped will work.

 

[LillyCalkins63]

What is a H support? But now we are starting to think it is a genetic disease. Also this chick can walk and get around fine, I’m just worried about when it gets older if the weight will cause other issues.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

It looks like the chick has valgus deformity in one leg and a twisted tendon in the right leg. Or valgus in both legs. Unfortunately I don’t think that you can fix that. But perhaps with splinting you can try to see if it helps. Padding and vet wrap strips for support would be what I would do. I would give some vitamin B complex daily in the food, 1/4 tablet crushed. Here is some reading about leg bone deformities:
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poul.../noninfectious-skeletal-disorders-in-broilers

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/1051/leg-health-in-large-broilers/

https://www.researchgate.net/public..._of_the_Intertarsal_Joint_in_Broiler_Chickens
View attachment 1671670

I agree with @Eggcessive your chick looks like she has a leg bone deformity. She gave you some good advice and links to read.
Sometimes the legs cannot be fixed at all, but you can try splinting to see if it helps with mobility.
Some chickens can learn to adapt and they thrive depending on the severity of the leg deformity. Sadly, others do not make it or become incapacitated as they grow - they simply become to heavy for their legs to support them.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/rooster-chick-with-weird-leg.978353/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/twisted-leg.1224187/#post-19616582
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...alyzed-partially-another-injured-leg.1271234/

 

[Tortoise]

What is a H support? But now we are starting to think it is a genetic disease. Also this chick can walk and get around fine, I’m just worried about when it gets older if the weight will cause other issues.

Just something you would rig with the two legs each wrapped separately and then a bar of some sort going between the two legs to hold them the correct distance apart if needed. The whole support on legs and between would be an H shape.