Chick walking on hock -*****updated with pics

[Henny Chesney]

I've got a chick that hatched the day before yesterday. It was stuck in the shell and I helped him out (I know - some people do this and some don't). He's healthy other than his legs. His toes on both feet were curled, so I put the bandaids on for 24 hours. The are correct now and he is walking on one leg just fine. The other leg he can't seem to bend straight to stand up. He's walking on his hock on that leg. I've tried feeling to see if it's a slipped tendon and it doesn't seem to be. Is there a way I can splint this leg almost straight to see if that helps? I've given vitamins in the water but that doesn't seem to be helping this issue.

 

[Henny Chesney]

 

[silkiemother]

you could try the splint to keep it straight. so is he walking on it with it flat, not straight

 

[Henny Chesney]

He is walking around - well, not really walking - he can stand fine on the good leg and tries to get around. The bent one won't straigten so he's walking on the hock on that one, and kind of bounces around.

Is there something I need to do with the leg before splinting? Or just put the splint with the leg straight?

 

[silkiemother]

I would put something soft on it so it won't chafe his leg. and if he keeps walking on it like that, he could get a serious blister then an infection if not managed

 

[Henny Chesney]

I wrapped it with VetWrap so there's nothing sticky to remove and nothing hard to chafe. He can stand, but anytime he tries to move he flips all around. Probably because he's been used to a bent hock. I'm hoping to see a little improvement tomorrow and hope he doesn't wear himself out too much by being scared and rolling around.

 

[Nekopan]

Sounds like perosis/slipped Achilles’ tendon. I’m pretty newbie so hopefully someone else will give you proper advice, but from what I read you have to roll the tendon back in place and put hobbles so the chick uses both legs.