Chick with a broken joint (help)

[Farm life101]

Hello all,
So about 4-5 weeks ago I hatched 6 chicks for a friend and today she called and said one of them wasn’t moving and if I could come look at it. So i knew something was wrong the second o saw it becomes it was lying down not moving even when other chicks stepped on it . So I picked it up and the joint which I think is there knee looks quite broken. I have her in a homade splint type thing that I found online. She isn’t eating so I’m coming here 3-5 times a day giving her SaveAChick electrolyte water and hopefully she will eat tomorrow. She is only 4 weeks old and I just picked her up about 4 hours ago. Anything else I can do for her? Will she make it? (Will upload pictures of her brake in 10 minutes)

 

[Farm life101]

Couldn’t get pictures as she freaked out everyone I tried to touch her hurt leg

 

[coach723]

As always a vet is best. If that is not an option, this may help. Lots of info on different fractures and how to examine and splint them. It's based on songbirds, but the anatomy is the same. Most important is to pad the splint and have it adequate to support the fracture in place, but not too tight. Check often for swelling, you don't want to cut circulation off, and for any rubbing or abrasions caused by splinting materials.
https://theiwrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Duerr_Splinting_Manual_2010.pdf
If you need to get the weight off the leg then a chicken sling for periods may help, some examples below. If you have some poultry nutri drench you can give some of that, it will give her a boost and may help her appetite. Making her chick feed into a mash by mixing with some water may help encourage her to eat, maybe sprinkle a bit of cooked chopped egg over it. Aspirin can be given for pain, dose is 25mg per pound per day. More dosing info here in post #2: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/aspirin-dosing.1198396/ The only concern with aspirin is that it thins the blood so should be used with caution where bleeding may be an issue.
This is a good site with tons of info on other foot and leg problems in chickens other than fractures, for future reference: https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry

 

[Eggcessive]

Are you familiar with leg bone deformities and slipped tendons? Those can be common in chickens and may worsen with age. I hope the splinting can help. Can you teach your friend to give the SaveAChick? Poultry Cell which contains riboflavin (b2) and other vitamins and electrolytes. Here are some links on leg bone deformities:
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/1051/leg-health-in-large-broilers/

https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poul.../noninfectious-skeletal-disorders-in-broilers

https://www.researchgate.net/public..._of_the_Intertarsal_Joint_in_Broiler_Chickens

 

[Farm life101]

Are you familiar with leg bone deformities and slipped tendons? Those can be common in chickens and may worsen with age. I hope the splinting can help. Can you teach your friend to give the SaveAChick? Poultry Cell which contains riboflavin (b2) and other vitamins and electrolytes. Here are some links on leg bone deformities:
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/1051/leg-health-in-large-broilers/

https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poul.../noninfectious-skeletal-disorders-in-broilers

https://www.researchgate.net/public..._of_the_Intertarsal_Joint_in_Broiler_Chickens

Doesn’t look like pictures. I think she broke it inwards because the leg will not bend without it hurting her and it’s stiff but she can still feel it as I poked her lightly with a needle and she reacted.

 

[Farm life101]

As always a vet is best. If that is not an option, this may help. Lots of info on different fractures and how to examine and splint them. It's based on songbirds, but the anatomy is the same. Most important is to pad the splint and have it adequate to support the fracture in place, but not too tight. Check often for swelling, you don't want to cut circulation off, and for any rubbing or abrasions caused by splinting materials.
https://theiwrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Duerr_Splinting_Manual_2010.pdf
If you need to get the weight off the leg then a chicken sling for periods may help, some examples below. If you have some poultry nutri drench you can give some of that, it will give her a boost and may help her appetite. Making her chick feed into a mash by mixing with some water may help encourage her to eat, maybe sprinkle a bit of cooked chopped egg over it. Aspirin can be given for pain, dose is 25mg per pound per day. More dosing info here in post #2: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/aspirin-dosing.1198396/ The only concern with aspirin is that it thins the blood so should be used with caution where bleeding may be an issue.
This is a good site with tons of info on other foot and leg problems in chickens other than fractures, for future reference: https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry
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I don’t think the owners have the money for a vet visit as I have taken a chickens to the vet and it gets very pricey. Right now I have it in a sling (like the pictures) and she seems fine with that. Should I splint her leg as well as a sling? Thanks for all the links and info, it helped a lot

 

[coach723]

If it is broken a splint will be necessary to hold the bones together properly to allow them to heal. Without pictures or being able to examine her I can't tell you if it looks like a fracture or some other issue. Slipped tendons can cause what it sounds like you are describing also.

 

[Farm life101]

So I gave her a splint using 4 popsicle sticks (cur down a little bc they were to big) some unrolled cotton balls and Vet wrap. I put the cotton on first then the popsicle sticks then the vet wrap. It looks like her “knee” popped out somehow and it is still quite swollen. Will try to get pictures tonight when she is tired. She is eating and drinking good and although I wish she would eat a little more her wieght is fine. I have a side question not about her leg, they are now 5 weeks old so should she and all the other chicks she was hatched with be dewormed?

 

[casportpony]

So I gave her a splint using 4 popsicle sticks (cur down a little bc they were to big) some unrolled cotton balls and Vet wrap. I put the cotton on first then the popsicle sticks then the vet wrap. It looks like her “knee” popped out somehow and it is still quite swollen. Will try to get pictures tonight when she is tired. She is eating and drinking good and although I wish she would eat a little more her wieght is fine. I have a side question not about her leg, they are now 5 weeks old so should she and all the other chicks she was hatched with be dewormed?

That sounds like slipped tendon (perosis).

 

[HappyFeetHens]

If you can get any pictures, I may be able to help. I have a hen who hatched with deformed legs (not sure how to describe) but I was able to correct them and she’s fine now. Are the toes curled or legs sort of broken inwards beneath her, toward each other? If so, that was the issue with mine. Hope I can help!