My crazy cat who almost burned our house down a couple months ago managed to somehow knock over one of my brooders a few weeks ago. One chick was hurt and I'm suspecting it was a slipped hock. I taped the leg in place and put the chick in a sling contraption that I made with a plastic container & a tube sock with holes cut in it. I nursed it like that for a week with food placed on the sock and giving it vitamin water with a syringe. Then she started getting out of the sling so I used a cut drinking straw to keep the leg in line. She hobbled all over the brooder and seemed to be recovering. I took the straw off every day to check it. She got to the point of walking with it and the joint staying straight. Then I made the mistake of only taping it and putting her back in the brooder. Within a day, both of her legs had problems. She didn't act like she was suffering but we put her down because she was not improving. I think that if I kept the straw on for a few more days, she might have made it. I'm a champion for the underdog but I need to learn that I can't save every chick with problems. I have finally learned to keep hands off during hatching and my hatch rate/survival rate has gone up. They can actually hatch without my help! Go figure!
