- Sep 8, 2011
- 13
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We have a little chick that hatched on Friday May 30th. She was a full day behind the rest of the hatch. She seemed okay but once she fluffed up and became a little more mobile we noticed that she is not using one of her legs. She is able to move it from the hip but makes contact with the ground on her hock joint (?) and not her foot. When she is hopping around clumsily, she holds her wing out to the side for balance and her unused foot quivers. I don't know if it hurts or it's nerve damage or something else. I read a few other threads about slipped tendons and it seems to me that this is what has happened. But, I'm not sure. Her joint is a bit swollen but no skin is broken. Others have mentioned that you can feel the tendon and gently put it back into place ... I can't really tell what I'm feeling though. And if the joint is swollen it seems that I shouldn't do it anyway? I have wrapped her leg gently in vet tape in hopes that she will begin to use it again. She's not thrilled with this and her movements seem even more clumsy now. It's only been a few hours though. She is eating and drinking and seems generally active. Does anyone have any advice? We have hatched these chicks in our classroom and needless to say we are VERY attached. Culling is not an option. Please let us know what we can do! Thank you thank you!
