Baby chicken with foot facing backwards

[Pumkinface2002]

Okay I have a baby black copper maran that hatched on 04/15/2013. Right when it came out you could tell something was wrong with its foot. It isnt deformed but it kept its toes curled up for the first day or so. Transfered them all to the brooder ( 20 gal. tub and pine shavings) and it is the only one that looked splayed legged. I looked on the internet (I am very new to chicken hatching) and made the baby chick some hobbles because it was throwing its foot out to the side when it would walk. I put the hobbles on the chick on 17th and changed them out a couple of time and offically took them off on 23rd. The chick walked straight very little to no splayed leg. Figured it was fixed. Went away for this past weekend from 26th-28th and now its leg is facing backwards and cant walk very good. Does not act like it in pain or anything just very unsteady on its feet. It does face forward sometime and when it walks it kind of goes out to the side and then it turns and faces the wrong way. I have never in my life seen anything like this even on the internet so I am very confused. The chick is only with 3 others and they are not picking on each other at all of what I have seen . Very clean living conditions and food and water changed twice a day. I dont understand what is going on. Any advice would be mmore than welcomed. Thank you

 

[Chick Charm]

Well, sometimes things just happen during incubation. Personally it sounds like it needs to be culled.
Likely it is in pain with the leg facing the wrong direction. And there sounds like other issues with the head turning as well. Chicks with birth defects can die within the first few weeks of life sometimes. Some make it and can get by though. Your choice obviously.

I wish you the best.

 

[Pumkinface2002]

Well thank you very much for your thoughts on this matter. We ended up culling this poor little guy. I couldnt imagine what he would have went through if and when we would have put him in with the larger chickens. Thanks again!

 

[Chick Charm]

I feel your pain. For a lot of us chickens are more than livestock, they are pets.

Look at the positive side. It was better for the chick and better for you. If you would have waited and named ect. It would have been even harder. It is never easy culling deformed chicks, but it does need to be done from time to time.

I have processed chickens for 30 yrs, since I was a boy. Still I cannot do it to the family pets. I give em to family or friends instead. If I get a deformed chick it is still never easy culling. Sometimes I try and convince myself that a deformity will correct itself. I have never had that happen yet.


You did right.