chick with bum leg

[chick-n-doodles]

I have a two week old Rhode Island Red chick that was incubated in the house and I think was the last to hatch. The entire hatched seemed a little weak, gave them an electrolyte and vitamin supplement and 4 out of 5 are doing great. One has serious leg issues. A possible dislocated hip and the hock bends both forward and backward. She can't support herself without her hock giving out one way or the other. Her right hip seems to be floating within her body, moving under her wing when she tries to stand. When she's held, it can be moved in all different directions, unlike the other leg. She does not seem to be in pain and is able to get around a little to eat and drink. I tried a band-aid hobble for a few days but her hip seemed to be a bigger issue. I've tried a foam hobble hoping to give her more support and it worked but she grew out of it in a few days and I couldn't get another one to work properly with her hock giving out more and more. I left her legs free for a few days but she is unable to keep her leg under her so I put another hobble on made of sports tape. What else can I do to help?

 

[kari_dawn]

I think you can treat it like spraddle leg. Chicks have amazing healing abilities...I saw one get sat on, thought it was dying, and the next day it was running around like nothing happened...I don't know. Hopefully, someone else has had similar experience and can help you

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry

I hope this site can help you!

 

[chick-n-doodles]

Air bubbles. My chick has air bubbles in her. Could that be what is keeping her leg out of place? It doesn't explain her hock bending both ways but... She had poo dried to the inside of leg so I gave her a bath. I could hear and feel them and with wet feathers under a light I could see several bubbles, some of them seem significant. What do I do now?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:
Oh I am so sorry I don't know what to tell you.

 

[chick-n-doodles]

Quote:
Update...
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/114748_187_0344.jpg
She's able to get around enough to eat and drink and I've been keeping her legs sports taped together which seems to help give her more stability but has to rock back and forth quite a bit to get enough moment to make herself move. I tried getting her into a chick chair several times but she has fought and wiggled herself out each time. She's quite a fighter.

Her hock seems to be double jointed as it caves in one way or the other when she puts weight on it. Her hip still seems to move about on the side of her body but not as much as it did. Air bubble is still there but not as prominent today.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:
Update...
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/114748_187_0344.jpg
She's able to get around enough to eat and drink and I've been keeping her legs sports taped together which seems to help give her more stability but has to rock back and forth quite a bit to get enough moment to make herself move. I tried getting her into a chick chair several times but she has fought and wiggled herself out each time. She's quite a fighter.

Her hock seems to be double jointed as it caves in one way or the other when she puts weight on it. Her hip still seems to move about on the side of her body but not as much as it did. Air bubble is still there but not as prominent today.

Just to let you know, I have read stories on BYC about chickens with ONE leg only that hop around fine as adults on one leg.

So I hope that your little chick will similarly be able to get around fine.

She is very cute!

 

[chick-n-doodles]

Thanks, she is beautiful. I'm so happy there are some success stories out there

For more pictures of her check out the bottom of my BYC page at https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=114748