Broken/bruised foot on week old chick

KaleoKolea

In the Brooder
Sep 5, 2020
19
80
46
East Big Island, HI
Hi! I could use some advice on a week old chick with a foot injury. This is from an outdoor, parent raised brood who have been doing very well up until this point. We let the hen and three chicks out into the yard to get some air and foraging, and by the evening this one had a limp. It was worse today, the chick can't put any weight on it, so I brought it in for observation. The foot is very badly bruised and I can tell the chick is in a lot of pain. Its also a bit tired compared to the other chicks.

Right now the chick has rest, heat, electrolyte water, and medicated chick starter. Anything else we can do to help it heal? Any thoughts on what could have caused the injury?
20201214_101340.jpg
20201214_101358.jpg
 
Chickens are trouble makers, so how it happened, only the chick knows--if even that. Anyway, I had a broody hen trample and injure one of her children's legs and it was limp and non functional. I was of course panicked, but didn't want to stress the chick, so I left it. It was warm, eating, drinking, maybe a little slower than the rest, but okay. Within a few days healed right up no problems. I think you're on the correct track towards healing.
 
I once had a mother hen that was overly protective and jumped high into the trees to defend her chicks if just a little sparrow or blackbird flew by. All but one of her 9 chicks were left with bruised legs and feet by her jumping up into the air and landing on them.
They all recovered within a few days but as she kept on doing her overprotective jumps, they were bruised all over again, and again until I decided to separate the chicks, as she was far more of a danger to them as any sparrow or blackbird.

I gave them each some Arnica, it helps with bruises and swellings.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom