Chick Leg Issue - Any Way to Fix?

[DenverQuail]

Hi all,

I've got a 6 day old coturnix chick with a hip/knee (?) that sticks up farther than it should on one side and makes him walk funny (see pictures below). He prefers to squat or run balanced on his hocks, but seems to be able to straighten the leg more when he wants to. He hatched from the wrong side of the egg and had curled toes as well, which I was able to fix with tape, but I'm not sure what to do about the leg. Is there any way to fix this? Will it correct itself naturally or will he be crippled for the rest of his life? Is this likely to be causing him pain?

More info: He's in the brooder with one other chick. They're eating 28% turkey starter and I started adding vitamins to their water last night after reading that some leg issues are caused by vitamin deficiencies. He is eating/drinking/pooping normally and gets around fine, just looks wonky and doesn't often want to stand up fully. Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[MillersFarm]

Sounds like spraddle leg.. man i'm just handing out links today, Anyways hers a great website that helped me out when i hatched up some chicks and one had gotten spraddle leg http://www.fresheggsdaily.com/2012/04/spraddle-leg.html
Is he on a smooth surface? That most likely caused the problem and if he is you might want to put down some shavings or straw

 

[DenverQuail]

Sounds like spraddle leg.. man i'm just handing out links today, Anyways hers a great website that helped me out when i hatched up some chicks and one had gotten spraddle leg http://www.fresheggsdaily.com/2012/04/spraddle-leg.html
Is he on a smooth surface? That most likely caused the problem and if he is you might want to put down some shavings or straw

Thanks! I wasn't sure if it could be spraddle leg since the feet still point forward, but I'm still pretty new to this... I'll try making a brace with tape per the link you shared and see if it helps. I use pieces of that rubbery perforated drawer liner stuff as my brooder flooring for the first few days.

 

[MillersFarm]

I would try the brace first... If its not helping the chick walking could his leg maybe be dislocated? Is there anything in his brooder box he could've gotten his leg stuck in?

 

[DenverQuail]

I would try the brace first... If its not helping the chick walking could his leg maybe be dislocated? Is there anything in his brooder box he could've gotten his leg stuck in?

That's what I'm worried about, but I'm going to try the brace first. I don't think it would've been the brooder... I use a 10 gallon aquarium with a sheet of shelf liner on the bottom for traction, and the only other things in there are the food and water dishes. I did try a remedy for spraddle leg I read about that involved putting him in a drinking glass lined with paper towels to help strengthen his legs and reduce splaying. Could that have injured him? If the brace doesn't work and it does turn out to be dislocated, is there anything I can do or will I have to cull him?

 

[Binki]

This could be a severe case of splay leg with the Achilles' tendon slipped over the hock?

https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry

Search for "Fix Slipped Achilles Tendon in Hock Joint" and see if that describes your chick?