Chick with deformity?

[Flossie Sue]

Hello, today I acquired two chicks approximately six weeks old. One has a bad leg/ hip. It can hobble around and is eating and drinking, I just don’t want it to suffer. To me it looks like it’s hip bone pops out when it lays and the area is plucked clean. The backstory is these chicks were hatched in a high school classroom and this chick was apparently hatched this way. She is panting and looks distressed to me but they’ve only been here a couple hours and have never been outside the classroom before. I know my picture isn’t great but she’s so scared I’m trying to be as least invasive as possible. I currently have them in my garage in a brooding box.

 

[coach723]

At that age they can have bare spots as part of the normal feathering out process, as the feathers fill in, the bare spots will get covered. It would be helpful to see pictures of the leg while it's standing, clear and up close. Does the chick put weight on it at all, or just hop on one leg? Pictures would really help a lot.

 

[Flossie Sue]

Thanks,
It doesn’t really use the leg other than just what I would describe as toe touching. I guess I’ll have try to get better photos.

 

[Eggcessive]

There can be several common leg problems, including a slipped tendon, leg bone deformities that may worsen as they grow, and splay legs. Some problems are a result of hatching or humidity problems. Unfortunately, splay legs is the only one easy to fix right after hatch. Some may suffer injuries or a dislocated joint. Many of these chicks are put down or may starve due to the problems walking. Pictures or a video may help in identifying the issue.