Chick Slipped Tendon? Pictures.

[kekstrom]

The smaller brooder could be a pet carrier or a box, the purpose of this is to keep her away from other chicks and to make her access to food and water easier. It's best to keep her there until she has healed. If she is lonely you can put one of your youngest, smallest chicks in with her. I find that other chicks peck at anything red, especially injuries. It is likely that she is only holding her leg up because it hurts, not because she physically can't move her knee (but that is just my opinion). You could try splinting it with a bit of wood or foam, but I have tried this with hock leg chicks and the results were unsuccessful. Hock leg chicks physically can't hold their leg down (some chicks are born that way by chance), but your bantam probably can.

I wouldn't worry about the splint as chicks are very hard to splint and still be able to walk, their legs are so fragile. The fact that she is holding her leg to the side is a problem though. I will post tomorrow about the medical tape technique, it's too dark to get pics now. 

So I have her rigged up inside a clear/frosted trash can down inside the brooder so she can kinda see but also hear her brooder mates. She is limited in her movements in there too. And she seems calm, whereas when I had her in a separate brooder container, she frantically was searching for her buddies.

Since I don't trust her with water and being gimpy- I am just going to hand feed and water her every 90min to 2 hours today.

 

[kekstrom]

Here are some links that I have compiled on leg/foot problems, not sure if any of these would be helpful but will post just in case
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/links-for-information-on-foot-leg-problems-in-poultry

This was SO helpful! Thank you very much. The second and third links are encouraging. I got her leg wrapped at the swollen joint and then wrapped it to her other leg like the splayed leg pictures. She isn't happy but it's in her best interest. I am pretty sure she is pouting. Haha.

 

[kekstrom]

You can sort of see her fancy brace. My little girls picked the color. Always pink. Her bad leg is the one with the toes curled. They do uncurl, so that's not a symptom, just were curled in the pic.

 

[kekstrom]

Sorry to hear about your chick! I'm currently dealing with a 4 week old RIR cockerel with a slipped tendon that may have to be culled soon.
You might find this article of help: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/treating-a-chick-with-a-slipped-tendon-one-chick-s-story

I have read that and it's very encouraging. Sorry about your RIR. Do you have any pics so I can see and compare?

 

[CuckooOrpington]

So I have her rigged up inside a clear/frosted trash can down inside the brooder so she can kinda see but also hear her brooder mates. She is limited in her movements in there too. And she seems calm, whereas when I had her in a separate brooder container, she frantically was searching for her buddies.



Since I don't trust her with water and being gimpy- I am just going to hand feed and water her every 90min to 2 hours today.

It is good that she is not too stressed about her recovery brooder. I have heard that some breeders dilute red cordial with the birds water if they are sick or injured, don't know about that though.You can boil up an egg or two and separate the cooked yolk, then mush it with a fork and feed it to her. My chicks love this treat, but it's excellent for sick or injured birds as it is high in protein. Good job with the brace!

This is a link to a website with information on leg problems in young chickens:
https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry

Also, have you noticed any swelling in the injured joint?

I hope she gets better

 

[kekstrom]

It is good that she is not too stressed about her recovery brooder. I have heard that some breeders dilute red cordial with the birds water if they are sick or injured, don't know about that though.You can boil up an egg or two and separate the cooked yolk, then mush it with a fork and feed it to her. My chicks love this treat, but it's excellent for sick or injured birds as it is high in protein. Good job with the brace! 

This is a link to a website with information on leg problems in young chickens:
https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry

Also, have you noticed any swelling in the injured joint?

I hope she gets better   

Yes it was definitely swollen on Thursday. But now it seems to be less swollen, but perhaps a little and slightly red compared to her other leg's joint.

 

[CuckooOrpington]

Yes it was definitely swollen on Thursday. But now it seems to be less swollen, but perhaps a little and slightly red compared to her other leg's joint.

Swelling in the hock is another symptom of slipped Achilles tendon. If it is still a bit swollen as opposed to her good leg, this is probably the condition she has. You have to try and re position the achilles tendon back into place. This can be done by gently pulling the upper part of her lag back a bit further than normal (but be careful) and then straighten the leg, while holding it straight, gently press on the side of the achilles tendon and it should pop back into place painlessly. If you are worried that it will pop out again you can wrap the area in medical tape to keep it in place. This practice should be repeated if unsuccessful. You must do this as soon as possible, otherwise the positioning of her leg will become permanent.

 

[CuckooOrpington]

How long has she been holding her leg up?

 

[mymilliefleur]

I have read that and it's very encouraging. Sorry about your RIR. Do you have any pics so I can see and compare?

I don't, but I can take one later.

 

[Sylvester017]

Are you in Calif? Los Angeles County? I can recommend a vet that sees my chickens all the time. Cheaper than an avian vet.

Quote:

Obviously you are too far away for my vet. I used to have aviary birds - parrot, cockatiel, American and English Budgerigars, and now have chickens. What I did before we got our chickens was to find a vet that would see poultry. Most vets won't see poultry but if you find one that is listed as treating dogs/cats/birds/exotics they will see ducks and chickens. My vet even sees turtles and guinea pigs and does surgeries. He had to amputate a Leghorn wing last I heard.

Line up a vet in advance so that when an emergency occurs which is something you can't diagnose or handle, you will know who to contact in that emergency. I had a vet lined up for 10 years and never had to go to him with my aviary birds but one day an emergency with my ill Silkie occurred and he took me immediately to see her. With chickens a 2-day wait for a vet can be fatal. You need to find one that will see you the same day for an emergency. Chicks can't wait 2 days to see a vet since they are so delicate as babies.

If you are in a rural location it may take an hour's drive or more to see a vet that treats poultry but it will be worth it to have him/her lined up in advance. I've had advice from well-meaning BYC friends about maladies with my birds and was alarmed at the flood of different advice and scary diagnoses. That's when I determined a vet would be my best resource since so many chicken problems can show the same exact symptoms -- sometimes a correct diagnosis can only be made by a medical professional. Of course, as a last resort some owners just cull their problem chicks/juveniles rather than paying the vet fees. It's all a matter of personal choice.