Chick with broken leg? Or slipped tendon?

[Violanna]

My 2 day old chick has had issues since she hatched. She is super strong and a fighter! But I really want to help her if I can. Her leg is now swollen and red! It looks like she pecked the joint area a bit. Is her leg broken? What can I do to help?

Please do not say it is splayed legs. It’s not.. she can get the legs under her just fine. She just can’t put weight on one leg so she can’t stand or walk. I did try splinting for splay but that made it worse. Also the twist in her foot in the picture is not how it always is I was just holding her still and that was the angle I put the foot.

 

[Kiki]

Did you take any pictures before you splinted it and made it worse?

What was the reason you splinted it?

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you make sure that she is getting plenty of water and offer food as well. Vitamin B2 or riboflavin should be given and the best way is to use a B complex tablet for humans 1/4 tablet daily, or a chick or baby vitamin drop that has riboflavin listed on the label. A chick sling could be of help now, or you can try to prop her with wash cloths or towels until you can make one. If she can get around on her own, that would be good. Here are some examples of chicken slings:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/versions-of-chick-chairs-please.1166308/

 

[Violanna]

Can you make sure that she is getting plenty of water and offer food as well. Vitamin B2 or riboflavin should be given and the best way is to use a B complex tablet for humans 1/4 tablet daily, or a chick or baby vitamin drop that has riboflavin listed on the label. A chick sling could be of help now, or you can try to prop her with wash cloths or towels until you can make one. If she can get around on her own, that would be good. Here are some examples of chicken slings:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/versions-of-chick-chairs-please.1166308/

Yup she is able to move around. She just hobbles. She moves better without a splint I hold her next to the water dish multiple times a day. Plus a made a slurry with food, water, nutridrench, and niacin which I dropped fed to her!

And OMG I need to learn to make those chairs! That looks perfect!! I need to get her weight off that leg.

Did you take any pictures before you splinted it and made it worse?

What was the reason you splinted it?

I asked on the Facebook group first with a picture of her walking and everyone said it was splayed legs. I didn’t mean it made the leg worse. I meant it made it worse for her stability. She just laid with her legs behind her and couldn’t get them under her. If I righted her she would immediately trip and be splayed out again. I think it was forcing weight on the injured leg. We only used the splint 5 mins.

 

[Violanna]

I’ve been reading and looking at pics, and I’m 70% sure it’s a slipped tendon. But I can’t find reliable info about repairing that in a chick so young. Everything just says pinch and roll..

 

[Violanna]

Morning update! I did my best to ‘roll’ the tendon into place. I think I felt it pop in, but I’m not certain, she is really swollen. Next I got started on a chicky chair. Made sure her feet can’t touch the ground. Got her fed for the morning using my little slurry or food vitamins and water. Basically using a dropper her beak fits into and squeeze out just enough for her to peck it out so she is doing all the work! Going to figure out food and water bowls for the chair when I have free time today. Her leg is currently not taped up, I’m hoping no weight gets the swelling down. It is starting to twist out now, so I think she will need to be hobbled. I just want to let her rest for a bit before I mess with her anymore.

 

[Violanna]

Ok I have spent days trying to help this poor chick. She is 4 days old now and the good leg has enough strength to hold her up now. She can use the hock of the bad leg to hobble around without tripping too much. So she can access her food and water without me assisting now.

However the bad leg.. it’s no longer swollen, but completely discolored, she can no longer move the toes. I think it is dying at this point. Is there anything more I can do for her or do I just cushion the hock and let her get used to her 1 legged life?

 

[Blue Raptor]

Ok I have spent days trying to help this poor chick. She is 4 days old now and the good leg has enough strength to hold her up now. She can use the hock of the bad leg to hobble around without tripping too much. So she can access her food and water without me assisting now.

However the bad leg.. it’s no longer swollen, but completely discolored, she can no longer move the toes. I think it is dying at this point. Is there anything more I can do for her or do I just cushion the hock and let her get used to her 1 legged life?

Can you get a better pic with both legs in the photo so we can see the coloration difference?
Perhaps you could try the splayed leg treatment of attaching the crooked leg to the other with vetwrap to keep them straight?

 

[Eggcessive]

Look carefully for a small hair or string that could have gotten twisted around her leg. It looks like a twisted tibia leg bone deformity (not treatable,) but a slipped tendon (sometimes fixable) could be possible. There was some discoloring of the upper leg seen in your second picture. I would probably try to let her get around as well as she can on her own. The chick chair can help with feeding and watering though. Many of these chicks don’t make it, or are culled unfortunately. Let us know how she gets along, and good luck. Here are some articles about leg deformities:
https://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/leg-health-in-large-broilers#:~:text=Common leg problems observed in heavy broilers&text=Valgus (VVD), crooked toes,skeletal pathologies causing leg problems.

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

 

[Violanna]

Can you get a better pic with both legs in the photo so we can see the coloration difference?
Perhaps you could try the splayed leg treatment of attaching the crooked leg to the other with vetwrap to keep them straight?

I’ve done before. And she wasn’t able to move at all. Plus I had the two hobbled together under the chair all day yesterday. It’s 100% NOT splayed leg. The leg is badly injured.

It was not easy to get her positioned to get a pic with both legs she has sooo much energy!