Bad Legs. How To Fix?

[SkyeAus]

His legs aren't splayed sideways, but to far forward if that makes sense. He jusy hatched last night. Anyway to correct it?

 

[SkyeAus]

 

[red horse ranch]

Try to help him stand and exercise his legs. I had one that was like that last winter and it finally figured out how to get up and walk. It was perfectly normal after a few days. Good luck.

 

[ochochicas]

Is he unable to stand at all? it could be a slipped tendon. If you straighten the leg you should be able to see the tendon in the back and it should go along the back of the leg and not to the side. if it is on the side you'll know it slipped out of place. You can google slipped tendon to see a video of what it looks like.

 

[SkyeAus]

Everything looks and feels like it's in the right place, can stand for short periods of time but legs just go in front of him/her and sits down

 

[hnichols]

This always happens to my chicks but they always seem to straiten up as they grow older. Cute chicky by the way what breed?

 

[Lavender11]

I had this happen to two of my chicks. I thought it was slipped tendons and so I put them into chick chairs. They were fine after a day or so in the chairs but I think it was more likely to be splayed legs and I probably should have just hobbled them.

 

[ochochicas]

Personally, I think yours has some kind of splay leg.

 

[MrsBachbach]

Everything looks and feels like it's in the right place, can stand for short periods of time but legs just go in front of him/her and sits down

Try a vitamin/mineral supplement in water and administer it to him via eyedropper several times throughout the day. Hen was likely deficient in certain vit/mineral.


Retarded growth and severe leg weakness are the first signs noted when chicks are deficient in vitamin D3. Beaks and claws become soft and pliable. Chicks may have trouble walking and will take a few steps before squatting on their hocks. While resting, they often sway from side to side, suggesting loss of equilibrium. Feathering is usually poor, and an abnormal banding of feathers may be seen in colored breeds. With chronic vitamin D3 deficiency, marked skeletal disorders are noted

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/p..._poultry/vitamin_deficiencies_in_poultry.html
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/p..._poultry/mineral_deficiencies_in_poultry.html

It could be D3 or Vit E or some other mineral. I would just get some supplement broad in scope to add to his water or all of them. I wouldn't overdo it on the other chicks though as too much could be bad. You might make up some special for this one for the next week or so.

The sitting on hocks that the chick displays, I've read about before and am sure it is related to poor nutrition in the hen's diet. So I think the addition of vit/min will help this chick. I will see if I can find where I read it.