Chick with leg injury-lameness / please Help!

[gabbyscritters]

My daughters bantam chicks are 12 days old. Yesterday one of her d'uccle chicks was walking around holding one leg up. He/she has been eating and looking perky but holds one leg up, hops around when he needs to get around. When he is standing still he will lower it almost to the ground but usually keeps it slightly out to the side. We checked him out and the leg and foot look ok, no swelling or noticable break. I don't know if he did something stupid or if another chicked pecked him. It has been over 24 hours and still the same.

We already had one that had a splayed leg (alrerady fixed) and three died, my husband is not too happy with our "quality" chicks we have received. I hope in the end for the money they will be better than the typical large hatchery stock. Thanks much

 

[KellyHM]

Sounds like she may have broken it. I have one that broke hers about a month ago when she was 2 days old. It's up too high for me to splint it...she still holds it up, but runs around and eats and drinks fine. I had her on some pain meds for a couple weeks to help her out, but she doesn't act like it hurts any more. I figured as long as she gets around and acts ok I'll see how it goes. Good luck with yours.

 

[Glenda L Heywood]

you should read the advice of DCTownsend as she really does use these facts

ORTHOPEDICS FOR POULTRY MADE EASY FOR BEGINNERS
By D.C. Townsend

These treatments have been tested and proven effective. I developed them for peafowl but they
may be used for any poultry. The key to success is to begin treatment promptly. In some cases delay will kill or cripple the chick

HOBBLE BRACE
ACHILLES TENDON OUT OF THE GROOVE
When the Achilles tendon slips out of the groove on the hock joint, a peachick will not be able to
straighten its leg. The problem needs prompt attention because the struggling peachick will put
its weight on the hock joint which will damage the skin and cause swelling in the joint. The tendon
can be pushed back in place with just one finger or a very gentle squeeze between the thumb and index
finger. Sometimes just one treatment will give a complete cure that seems like a miracle. Other
times several treatments are needed. Stubborn cases require advanced treatment that is too difficult to
explain here. I treated both legs of a peachick for two weeks; She grew up to be a healthy peahen.

CROOKED TOES
Sometimes a peachick hatches with toes rolled into a fist. They may straighten out on their own
in the first day of life. If they do not do so, I make a CHICK SHOE (see illustration below) from
black pipe cleaner available in the crafts department at Wal-Mart. I use black ones because
bright colors are more likely to be pecked by other peachicks. One packet of Westrim Crafts Chenille
stems costs 89 cents and will last for years. Any kind of half inch wide tape can be used to attach the CHICK SHOE to the toes, but I prefer Johnson and Johnson First Aid clear tape. I cut a piece a quarter inch long for the middle toe. I cut another piece the same length and split into two quarter inch-wide pieces for the other toes. Eight hours of treatment is usually enough time to end the problem on a day-old peachick.

CHICK SHOE
Not Actual Size
HALF SHOE
Not Actual Size
In the 1995 hatch, I had a number of peachicks with a kink in the outer toe of one or both feet.
They were well past a week old when I decided that I must do something about it. I made HALF SHOES of black pipe cleaner. I tore off a quarter inch-wide stripe of duck tape several inches long and secured
the HALF SHOE to the middle and the outer toe. Several days of treatment were needed. Some of the
HALF SHOES came off and had to be taped on again, but all treated peachicks had straight toes at the
end of the treatment. There is a young peacock that I missed treating. Now it is too late and he will
always have a kink in his outer toe.

STRADDLE LEGS
This problem can occur even if you take the precaution of having quarter inch hardware cloth
under your peachicks. Sometimes it is caused by the struggles of a chick with its toes rolled into
fists. In that case, both problems must be treated at the same time. I cut a piece of tape four or
five inches long and from the HOBBLE BRACE with the legs far enough apart so that the peachick can walk. The tape must go the whole way around and cover its sticky side so that it does not stick to the
peachick's fuzz when it sits down. Usually 24 hours of treatment is sufficient, but sometimes more is
required. CHICK SHOES and the HOBBLE BRACE can be used at the same time.

 

[Glenda L Heywood]

I would give the vit E and Vit B complex in the wet mash for that chick also as this will have something to do with it nervous system

you will however NEED to take a eye dropper to feed the first Vit's to the chick

(1 and feed the chicks water with apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp to pt of water
Do this till after the chicks is better. Should be able to put the ACV water in a small waterer for the chick

(2 immediately give the chick 1000 mg capsule of liquid Vit E by cutting the end of the capsule and taking the vit E capsule and let the oil run into the chickens beak

(3 also need to crush a vit B complex pill in a tbsp and put it into a tsp of water and put it in the chicks beak after it is disolved
Do both Vit's twice today then for 7 days till you see some improvement in the chick

then give twice a week for two weeks should see much improvement

(4 generally the shock of a event like having a bad time coming out of the egg or in the brooder will cause chicks to have this nerve damage

(5 after today I would see if the chick will eat a fix half of this tonight and see if the chick will eat it i 20-30 minutes

You will need to be patient and help the chick eat the wet mash and vitamins

natural probiotic wet mash
2 tsp of dry crumbles
4 tsp of milk sweet, sour or buttermilk
1 tbsp of non flavored yogurt
mix good and put the
vit E liquid as directed in the wet mash
and crumble the Vit B complex tablet in a tabsp and add to the wet mash

(6 Do this twice a day for 7 days to see if the chicken is better
then do this once a day for another week then once a week for a while
this should give the nervous system some stability

(7
you can email by PM for more information and include this inf so I remember what is happening

 

[gabbyscritters]

The chick was fine until yesterday afternoon, they are 12 days old now. I don't think it is nerve damage because he was fine before.
I am not sure about achilles tendon as he can lower and straighten the leg just not often and will not put any weight on it.
I am thinking somehow a break or sprain? The brooder box is getting too small and they are getting very active. I was planning on getting them outside to the coop so they can get in a bigger area this weekend but I am starting on getting ready tonight. I really hate to loose another chick.

 

[Tricia's Triple Z]

It sounds like slipped tendon. Chek it out in the Chicken Health Handbook
I have one like that, is healthy otherwise, just a bit smaller, fast when it comes to treats! I wish that I cold make a sneaker or something to give her traction

 

[furley1229]

i have baby chick with tendon prob.took to vet and that wasnt much help she used sponge method and messed babys good leg up.can anyone tell me if they know how to fix it??im very attached to mickey,im trying to find a surgeon for him.i live in the foothills in ca,not many vets up here specialize in poultry.does anyone know of a vet???