Broken Leg?*Update-Please Help*

[starting.from.scratch]

I went to "look at" some chicks on Friday-Silkies and a Cochin...

...and because I'm crazy, I had to get the last 4 the lady had. They were covered in lice, and this Partridge Silkie one in particular was limping. The lady told me that this little one was under a heap and she took her (hoping) and put her separate from the rest.
Sooo....experts, friends, does this look like it's a broken leg? What can I do?
I plan on trying to do this myself. The chick is 4-5 weeks old, other than limping and being kind of pitiful (which I attribute to the infestation of lice) no unusual behavior. I've been keeping this chick with the 3 others I got that are the approximate same age and size in my spare bathroom in a 2x4 rabbit cage with a wire floor, with a paper towel under the heat lamp to rest their little feet.

 

[starting.from.scratch]

Bump bump?

 

[threehorses]

It's a bit hard for me to see. I'd think more likely that she would have a calcium deficiency. Honestly she has an everything-deficiency if she had lice.

You realize that you have to treat all your premises, too - and retreat in 7 days probably twice, yes?

Poor little birds.

She's going to need tons of nutrition. They all will. Starter (do you know waht they were getting before) for a while to catch them up - I'd keep them on it for two weeks before moving up to grower (unless you can get starter/grower). Yogurt daily for all of them for the D3 for rickets (which I suspect with this baby), and to help their gut bacteria get up to speed to produce the B vitamins and nutritional enzymes they need to be more thrifty.

Feed them mashed boiled egg yolk daily. I'd also give them each the Enfamil baby vitamins (non iron polyvisol) at 2 drops in the beak daily for the two weeks then "taper off" as dlhunicorn puts it. I'd not use the vitamins in the water - just fresh clean water unless you want to use a little organic apple cider vinegar in the water to get their gut pH back in shape after all this stress. One teaspoon per gallon of water. Organic only not because of the philosophy, but because it has the "mother" (beneficial bacteria) still in it. The potassium in it will also help their energy.

If you're of a mind to see a vet, I'd take their poop to the vet and get a fecal egg check done to see if they have roundworms.

How did you treat the lice?

Poor grubby little baby. Hopefully with some boosts in really good nutrition and the little bit of calcium, she'll be able to develop more properly in time for her organs to not be too effected. I'd feed them all this same diet, and then give them lots of love.

By the way, handle them AFTER your other birds in case they are carrying anything until their quarantine is done.

Will you please email me or contact me here and let us know how they're doing? If you don't hear back from me here, please do email me in case I got bumped off of "subscribe" on this post. I'm really interested in following up with you. Thanks!

 

[starting.from.scratch]

Thank you thank you thank you!
I appreciate all of the information you have given me.

Since I have only had them in my spare bathroom, not out back where the other girls are, will I need to treat the Orpingtons in the backyard? I've yet to see any sign of anything at all wrong with them. (wood knocked)

I freaked out when I saw the bugs and dusted them with DE as soon as we got home. That night got on here and read, Saturday morning went to Petsmart in search of Adams Flea powder, found spray and sprayed them down. But I would prefer to do things more naturally, and am nursing my 3 month old, so thanks to several fabulous posts-today I gave each of the new babies a soak in warm salt water, then Dr. Bronner's peppermint castille soap, then rinsed and blow dried on low. (I posted on "What gender am I?" with pictures of 2 others, after their bath)

I use the organic ACV w/ the mother in it as a precautionary anyway, and I had bought bird vitamins from Petsmart. Once I saw the nature of Coccidiosis, I thought I'd be safer using the ACV, just in case. (I saw a little blood yesterday too, but haven't since that 1 time-I'm just scared to death about these poor babies!)

I've been feeding them yogurt mixed w/the medicated feed 3x a day, then just taking up the feed at night, and letting them graze w/no yogurt the rest of the time.
I'll get the polyvisol first thing tomorrow. Since I am scared about the Coccidiosis, should I give them yolk, since coccidiosis is supposed to like protein, or at this point, some is better regardless?
I called the lady I got them from yesterday and told her about the situation - the bloody poo, etc. She thinks it was from the watermelon she gave them the night before, but did say they had been on medicated chick starter, which is what I am feeding them.

 

[threehorses]

Unfortunately, you shouldn't dust birds with DE directly - it's too hard on their respiratory systems and it won't kill the birds.

Also unfortunately, when you get an actual infestation, you really do have to use chemicals. But at least permethrins are plant extracts - which is why they're safe for birds.

Since they're in two different places, you should be fine. But just watch the ones outside. And you know those lice will be hatching from now to 10 days from now. The dust and DE don't kill eggs. DE won't be guaranteed to kill the lice at all quick enough for an infestation (and I'm a big DE fan but I know it's forte's and what it can't do).

The bird vitamins from Petsmart are alright. I use them on babies. And as far as coccidiosis goes, it won't treat or prevent cocci. What helps control it is keeping their brooder very nicely dry - no moist spots in the bedding. Heat and moisture encourage blooms. Then them developing an immunity is what does it. Using yogurt is also helpful as it helps with competition issues. And yes you can give yolk. Just a tiny bit. But if you feel better waiting, then wait a week or two and just do good feed and vitamins, the yogurt and oacv.

As for the mites and stuff, put the DE out in their dusting areas now outside and get that all ready just in case.

Honestly while you're out tomorrow, I'd highly recommend that you get a container of Corid or Sulmet (Corid is preferred in this case). Just in case. Blood in the poop isn't normal or good, but maybe this diet will help> Corid is just a stronger version of the amprolium they're already getting in their food. It's not an antibiotic (unlike Sulmet). So it's rather gentle, more gentle than cocci are on the birds.

 

[starting.from.scratch]

Thank you so much!

I really appreciate your clarification about the DE.

I got the polyvisol, I called the local co-op and corid is back ordered, supposed to be in early this week. Think I need to have some on hand, but the Sulmet may be too hard on them...?
Been keeping them on the wire bottom, but w/paper towels changed out often.
However, the smallest partridge silkie is not doing well. Even little Limpy is doing noticeably better, but this little one is sleeping a lot and off from the others.
I'm going to get off the computer & fix her a box of her own, because the larger buff silkie keeps stepping on her. I got my husband to pick up an extra heat lamp for her, and I guess I'll put her in a big diaper box for now...Sound good? Will she be ok to by herself for a few days to regain some strength, hopefully to not get stepped on anymore?
Feed the vitamins, some yogurt w/their crumb plus a little boiled yolk, ACV in the water, keep area as dry and comfy as possible. Once Corid is available, get some and use it.
Then in 10 days, repeat bath sequence.
I feed oats to my bigger girls and they love it, would it be ok to give to the babies as a treat?
I can't say Thank You enough. Really.

 

[threehorses]

I think separating her is a very good idea because of the stomping. Can you possibly put one other baby in with her? The meekest one of the batch? I find they do better with company.

As for the bath, no - I wouldn't repeat it. I would dust them and their boxes. Trust me when I say I'm always looking for the more natural way of doing things. I've been pushing natural for years to the point of being picked on for it (til now when it's finally the normal way of doing things - go figure). But this is one case where you mustn't be natural.

The way they were kept calls for something more strong.

Get them healthy, and *then* you can do things more naturally - you'll have a lifetime to make up for the first bit.

But in the mean time, you've taken on rescue birds and if not treated correctly what they have will not only persist in them (making it difficult for them to develop correctly), but possibly lead to not only life long health problems for them, but problems for your existing flock.

And incidentally, they're fine on wire at this age. All of mine are on wire without anything else after day four unless I use shavings. I get very few cases of coccidiosis even from feedstore babies this way and they develop fine. That might be helpful.

As for the oats, no not yet unfortunately. If you want, you can give them babyfood oatmeal. But honestly theese babies are so depleted of nutrition that I'd let them catch up first.

When you do feed oats, they'll need chick grit first. There's a wonderful bag of special grit for chicks available at a lot of feedstores and online. (Just bought some this weekend.) You can give them a very small bit of that, introduce a little more each day. That way they don't overload on it and impact their crop. Then you can introduce some oats later. But really I wouldn't for two weeks. It actually takes the digestive tract of a bacterially-based digestive system one whole month to adjust to a major change. I wouldn't stress them before one month with any more changes to diet.

These babies are sure going to be spoiled, though!

They deserve it, poor things. Who knows what happened to the other babies, and how many she tossed having lost them before these lucky four hobbits found you!

 

[starting.from.scratch]

Thank you so much. I really don't know what I would be doing now if it weren't for your help and advice.
Kind of figured the company thing earlier when I fed them their little snacks. The smallest one barely ate anything, while Limpy ate his weight in yogurt mixed with crumb and yolk. I just dropped some polyvisol in the mix, it seemed stressful for them and me to get them to open their little beaks. So I got Limpy and put him next to her wrapped in a towel on my lap and his eating seemed to encourage her to eat. So I just figured to put him in with her.
I am glad to hear I don't have to do the bath thing so soon! My 3 mo old has reflux, so my husband had to handle that while I did the treatment on all 4 little birdies.

I never in a million years thought I'd have chickens in my bathroom-it looks like a hospital in there. The heat lamps, the vitamins, extra towels, paper towels...And it's hard for me to think of the others - I called to tell her the situation, and can't believe she thought it might be the watermelon. That caused the lice too? Sheesh!

 

[threehorses]

starting.from.scratch :

Thank you so much. I really don't know what I would be doing now if it weren't for your help and advice.
Kind of figured the company thing earlier when I fed them their little snacks. The smallest one barely ate anything, while Limpy ate his weight in yogurt mixed with crumb and yolk. I just dropped some polyvisol in the mix, it seemed stressful for them and me to get them to open their little beaks. So I got Limpy and put him next to her wrapped in a towel on my lap and his eating seemed to encourage her to eat. So I just figured to put him in with her.
I am glad to hear I don't have to do the bath thing so soon! My 3 mo old has reflux, so my husband had to handle that while I did the treatment on all 4 little birdies.

I never in a million years thought I'd have chickens in my bathroom-it looks like a hospital in there. The heat lamps, the vitamins, extra towels, paper towels...And it's hard for me to think of the others - I called to tell her the situation, and can't believe she thought it might be the watermelon. That caused the lice too? Sheesh!

I'm very glad to help. It's no problem really.

I just remembered something I should have clarified. On the vitamin drops, you can (and should) just give them by beak by putting the dropper on the side of their beak. One drop at a time, they will tongue it down (and maybe spit some on you but that's ok.)

Lol on the bath - I can imagine. And hey - welcome to chicken owning! We at one time had goslings in our bathtub. I've had chickens in an (empty) watering trough in my den that came to me sick. No other place to quarantine at that time. That was awful! I had another little hen in my bathroom once - we called her the official bathroom hen!

Oh I hope watermelon doesn't cause lice, or we'll be in trouble down here in Houston during the hot weather. Watermelon mostly causes more watery droppings. The seeds can be problematic if the birds eat them especially if they don't get grit. But in small amounts the birds relish it!

 

[starting.from.scratch]

We all love watermelon here! Keep some in the fridge for us & the girls in the backyard!

The smallest chick is not doing well...She's really pitiful. I can barely get her to eat anything, and she can hardly lift her head for the vitamins...Sad to say, I made my husband check on her this morning, because I was afraid of what I'd find...She's been sleeping, not moving, keeping her head down, almost hard to stir when I check on her. The others, meanwhile, see me & now think, "Treats!" so it's a commotion when I open the door.

The local co-op has Sulmet, I've already arranged to have my husband pick some up on the way home. I know I should dose the smallest and Limpy, since they've been together the whole time, but should I do the other two as a precaution? But then no vitamins right? Can I still do yogurt & ACV?