Broken or Dislocated Leg on 4 Week Old Chick??

[Arya28]

This is a courtesy post for a relative who also just got chickens. She just noticed her 4 week old Rhode Island Red chick has a leg that looks like this (pictures below)... She says her chick isn't acting like it's in pain unless she touches the leg. He is still eating, drinking, and acting completely normal. Any idea what happened? It looks like it could snap in half. It is going into a holiday weekend, and so it would probably be difficult to find a vet. Any suggestions?

 

[Eggcessive]

Although it could be an injury or sprain, there are several leg bone deformities such as tibial dyschondroplasia (TD,) varus valgus deformity, slipped tendon and others that may cause swelling of the hock and soreness. Those can worsen as the chick grows and sometimes the hock tendon can rupture causing extreme lameness. Every case is different. The skin on the hock can become very irrtated and crack open. Some people try padding and splinting the leg. There is no cure, but some chicks may learn to get around well enough to survive with extra care.

 

[Kiki]

fwiw:
You may want to offer some vitamins.
https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/medicine-chart

 

[Eggcessive]

They may be hereditary or from a vitamin or mineral deficiency in the parent stock, but they are born with the deformity. It may show up right away as slipped tendon can, or be slight and worsen with growing over a couple of weeks. If you Google "leg bone deformities in poultry" there are good articles with pictures. I will try to post a couple when I am on the computer later.

 

[Kiki]

Ok..great.
Thanks for updating.
I was just curious if you found the answer you were looking for and what if anything you were doing.

I like good endings!

 

[Arya28]

Ok..great.
Thanks for updating.
I was just curious if you found the answer you were looking for and what if anything you were doing.

I like good endings!

Me too! They were really worried it was broken or something, so good we could figure that out! And I wasn't ignoring your comment about the vitamins- they are giving it vitamin supplements, probiotics and all of that good stuff and have been since they got him... she is now looking into giving him some extra vitamin d and/or calcium to help with his leg.

 

[Arya28]

@Eggcessive do you know if the deformities can form after birth, or are they always present when they are born? Because this definitely wasn't there when they got the chick at a few days old.

 

[Arya28]

Ok thanks! After some researching, I think it has to be Verus-Valgus deformity

 

[Kiki]

Ok thanks! After some researching, I think it has to be Verus-Valgus deformity

Is this V-V something that can be fixed?
Are you going to "do" anything to this chick?

 

[Arya28]

Is this V-V something that can be fixed?
Are you going to "do" anything to this chick?

It's not my chick- it's a relatives. I read it cannot be cured, but it can be tempered with a sling or splint. I don't think they are going to put it down, they are going to try to do anything they can to help it be comfortable and alive.