Chick with funny feet

[crazychicken]

Really not liking this hatch... my house is rapidly turning into a chick ICU

So this one hatched out with funny feet and is walking on its haunches and is starting to rub them so much they are starting to get a little bloody... do you think it's ok to use the boot ? his toes don't seem to want to move is this normal for bootied chicks. have not put the boot on yet any instruction on how to make/put it on.

 

[tellynpeep]

I don't know, but have a similar problem. The chick couldn't walk or even hold itself vertical for the first 24 hours. Now it gets around the brooder (5 days old now) but is still walking on its hocks. I thought it would be better or dead by now. I hope we get some answers!

 

[QuailQT]

Sorry, I can't help, but I know how you're feeling because I'm in the same situation! That foot looks like my chicks!
I was doing a search about leg problems and found this thread. I had a chick that couldn't hatch out. I waited over 24 hours and it still wasn't able to zip by itself. I then chipped away the egg shell leaving the membrane and placed a warm washcloth around it to soften it up, thinking that maybe it had dried up (humidity was pretty good though). I left it for a few more hours and then it had still tried to break out on it's own with no success. I intervened and helped, because it didn't look like it was situated in the egg quite right. This was my first one to pip too and others got out rather quickly. Something was wrong.
After helping, I noticed that it's leg wasn't right. It seemed turned funny, like it was dislocated or something. I'm sure this is why it wasn't able to get out on it's own. He's still not able to sit up on his own and I feel so bad for him. I want to help him if there is any possible way.
I'm hoping that someone will chime in soon.

 

[wegotchickens]

For chicks that have curled feet, add polyvisol drops (the kind without iron) to their water as soon as you can after the hatch.

I have quit using the boots. Instead, I massage their little feet as flat as I can during the first week, while they drink vitamin water. After the first week I put them out to run around in the grass with the other chicks (all of them get an hour or 2 of this a day when warm out). If they can run around and have a good time, they live. If they are still miserable by the end of 10 days then I put them down. I just don't think it's fair to let them suffer.



BTW, the chick that has worn it's hocks bloody I would put down. It's been too long for her. Unless you just have a LOT of time for tending to a crippled up bird. But that's really no life for them.
And be aware that a weak bird can jeopardize your entire flock, by catching something the others are too strong to catch and then passing it too them in a stronger form. Also, a bird that bleeds risks being cannibalized by the other birds.

The vitamin treatment really only makes a difference fairly early on. Within 24 hours of hatch at least, so that it is in their system as they are starting to move more.


I raise birds to breed & show, so I'm pretty ruthless about culling for malformations. The chicks that recover are usually sold as non-SQ, since I don't want to breed them.

 

[BarkerChickens]

I found a few threads that may be of some help to you.

Also, I would recommend giving it some vitamins. Poly-vi-Sol WITHOUT iron (in the baby aisle at drug stores) is a great and easy one! A couple drops a day or just add a few drops to the daily water.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=314770

http://sites.google.com/a/larsencreek.com/chicken-orthopedics/
(this page has a number of useful how-to's that may apply!)

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=307749

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=273235

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=189635

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=53098&p=2

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=39313

 

[crazychicken]

Well this after noon I put her in boots and if I can get my hands on some of the polyvisol drops I will try that..... The chick is doing a lot better ever since I got it in boots, it trips over them occasionally but is doing fairly well right now she is prob around 15 hours or so old... at least out of the egg being 0:00. after looking closer at the hocks they seemed more raw than bloody they are still on paper towel... If they were in shavings they probably would not be that bad. Right now I will hope for the best I have never had to cull and I don't want to start now... I am still living in the city so there is not enough space for breeding and not to mention I only had two of this breed hatch so I probably wont be breeding, if its a hen it can stay for egg laying if its a roo it might be leaving. I don't mind if it might need a little extra attention and it wont be much of a hazard to my flock since they are basically my flock... unless you count the three two year old hens I have but they wont be in the same pen since we have tried multiple times to introduce new birds to them but it never turns out well for the new birds.

Here is a pic of the little chick....

 

[wegotchickens]

What a cutie! I'm glad he's responding to the shoes. Some chicks expend a lot of energy fighting them. Hope you can find the polyvisol. I swear that stuff works like magic!