Chick Hatched with Leg That Won't Work?

[weeshanti]

I just hatched 8 bantams, and the last one to hatch - about 12 hours after the rest - emerged with a leg that sticks straight out behind him. He thrashes around the incubator trying to get upright, but all he can do is maneuver his one good leg and hobble. He's about 12 hours old now and no better. I tried moving him to the brooder with the others, but they peck at him mercilessly and he peeps in pain, so I moved him back to the incubator.

Is this a genetic defect? Injury? I have been reading about splints and spraddled legs, but this doesn't sound like the same thing...or is it?

 

[PoultryPedia]

Do you think it might have Marek's? There is some info on that at http://fowlfacts.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=afflictiondiseaseff&action=display&thread=1183 or you can find more using the 'Search' here on BYC.

 

[weeshanti]

I don't think it's Marek's - that was my initial research hit after I got on the boards, but it doesn't seem to fit. He can move both legs and feel pain, it just seems that they don't work right. At this point he is refusing to drink water from a dropper as well, so I think his hours are limited

.

I have three other bantam chicks who are showing signs, at day 3, of what looks like spraddled leg. One had curled toes from the start and I corrected that with a band-aid and card stock, but now she and two others have left legs that splay out. They were all walking fine yesterday, and they're on a rough dish towel so they have good footing. Four other chicks in the brooder are running around like demons, with no issues. What is going on? I'm starting to think my bantams are all in trouble! The eggs are all from my two bantam hens, one of whom already raised a healthy clutch of chicks. Could it just be a weird thing, or should I fear there is a genetic issue or disease in the bantams?

I'm going to try the band-aid treatment I found here and see what happens.

Thanks for the advice - I love BYC for all your experience and help!

 

[PoultryPedia]

Have all of your chicks had exactly the same feed?