bad splay leg quail

[wynter wonky leg]

Hi, i've hatched a quail that is currently 6 weeks and 4 days old, she has one leg that is very bad, the hip doesn't seem in the correct position but the leg actually goes backwards so her foot is either backwards or sideways, it twists at the knee joint. i've dealt with this before in ducks so i have tried different treatments, tying her legs together, tying her leg to her chest to keep it straight, keeping her on a grippy towel and doing a combination of different things to try to fix her leg but nothing has worked. if anybody has any ideas please let me know as i will do what is best for her and am open to any ideas, when she is a bit bigger and once i have exhausted all options i will take her to the vets and see what they say but would love any advice or help anyone can give me.

 

[FloorCandy]

At this age there’s probably nothing to be done, if it gets around ok, it can lead a relatively normal life, if not, you should cull it. With the leg straight behind, it may have slipped a tendon, you can fix (sort of) this by holding the leg of the chick between your fingers at the knee. Gently roll it like you’re rolling a pencil between thumb and index finger, and if it’s a slipped tendon you will feel it snap into place and the leg will work properly. At this age, the leg has grown and the tendon has not so it’s too late, but if you do it as soon as you notice it, it can be ok, but it also may continue to slip throughout its life, often or seldom, there’s no way to know which. It could also be a dislocation, but I had shipped eggs that hatched with several leg deformities and slipped tendons, with more slipping throughout the first week and a half, and those limp legs sticking out straight back and to the side were all slipped tendons.