Broken leg?

Feanor

Songster
11 Years
May 15, 2012
105
12
174
Mississippi
I have a production red chick from Ideal (just 4 days old) that is acting like its leg is injured. She doesn't move her left leg and hobbles around when she has to move, limping on one foot. She is still eating and drinking, the leg looks normal and healthy, but when I pick her up I don't feel any strength in that leg... I don't know if its paralyzed or lame or if its hurt so she's not putting any pressure on it. Since the leg looks healthy and normal, do you think it just needs some time to heal up? Has anyone else experienced this? All of her sisters are running around with full energy and she's just laying there watching =(
 
I don't think its a dislocated hock because it looks normal. I picked her up and got her to stretch it out, but mostly she keeps it withdrawn with her toes curled.

Here's a picture of the leg (her left one)


Here I got her to stand for some water, but you can see she's not putting any weight on her left leg.


This is my first time with chicks and I sure hope it won't involve humane culling
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From all the other forums I have read, I think she has a slipped tendon. Her hock is swollen, she has virtually no control in her leg below the hock. Unfortunately, everything I read has said "you can slip the tendon back in place" but I have no idea how to do that! I mean, I understand the basic physics of the procedure, but when I feel her leg/hock all I can feel is swollen tissue over a little bone, I can't feel anything distinguished like a tendon. The best thing I have read is that it sometimes slips back in place if you extend the leg straight out and a bit backwards. I've been doing this exercise on her a few times a day for two days now and there may be a slight improvement. She stands a lot now on her right leg with her left one at least touching the floor. Of course this could also mean that she's lost all control over her injured leg now so it just dangles when she stands. I don't know. She's now half the size of her sisters, but as long as she keeps fighting , I'll be fighting for her.
 
Update: I think she's going to make it! It has been a painfully long recovery, over a week of agony, but she's starting to put a bit more weight on her wonky leg each day. Now she can almost keep up with the rest of the flock. She still sits a lot and is not as energetic, but she is growing more to the same size as the others and looks as if she's using her leg almost fully. Her hock is still noticeably swollen and bright pink, but it appears to be healing.
 
Update: I think she's going to make it! It has been a painfully long recovery, over a week of agony, but she's starting to put a bit more weight on her wonky leg each day. Now she can almost keep up with the rest of the flock. She still sits a lot and is not as energetic, but she is growing more to the same size as the others and looks as if she's using her leg almost fully. Her hock is still noticeably swollen and bright pink, but it appears to be healing.

I know nothing at all about the problem that you're having with your chick's leg but I am very glad that things look like they're improving!
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So she is 5 weeks old today and her injured leg is noticeably twisted (from the hock it beds sharply out instead of facing forwardish like her normal leg) however, she has stopped resting/napping as much as she used to, she's basically the same size as the others, and she has no problem keeping up anymore. I hope her deformity will not cause her trouble in the future when she is full grown, but if she's fine now, she should grow out fine, too, shouldn't she? I'll post a picture tomorrow showing her leg. Thanks all for your well-wishes!
 

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