Chick with very injured leg, please help!!

[Astrohens]

Fiver is a 2 month old chick with an unknown leg injury. At first, it started off with a minor limp but it quickly got worse. I put him in a bird cage for 3 days and while I was changing the paper at the bottom I noticed his limp has gotten a lot worse, even with his time in the cage. Fiver’s cage is kept near his mother and sister. Are there any tips you can give me? I don’t want to end up putting him down. Also a quick note, he has five toes which might be causing a problem. I don’t know what breed he is.

 

[orelsi]

Can we get photos of the entire leg, the toes and the underside - the pads? Is there an area that is swollen or visibly injured in some way?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Fiver is a 2 month old chick with an unknown leg injury. At first, it started off with a minor limp but it quickly got worse. I put him in a bird cage for 3 days and while I was changing the paper at the bottom I noticed his limp has gotten a lot worse, even with his time in the cage. Fiver’s cage is kept near his mother and sister. Are there any tips you can give me? I don’t want to end up putting him down. Also a quick note, he has five toes which might be causing a problem. I don’t know what breed he is.View attachment 3728977

Where are you located in the world?
What do you feed, including treats?

Can you please post photos of the legs and feet?
If he's able to stand, can you get photos of that too?

I don't see any food/water in his cage - make sure he has access to food/water and is eating/drinking during waking hours.

 

[Astrohens]

Where are you located in the world?
What do you feed, including treats?

Can you please post photos of the legs and feet?
If he's able to stand, can you get photos of that too?

I don't see any food/water in his cage - make sure he has access to food/water and is eating/drinking during waking hours.

I’m located in Australia, I feed him 18% protein chick feed and the occasional dried mealworms. I’ll give you a picture later as I’m unable to at this moment. He can stand, but his leg slips out and he prefers to lay. He has access to water (in the container) and he gets feed during the day.

 

[Lillith37]

Is the chick feed medicated? Medicated chick feed contains a coccidiostat which often works by blocking uptake of Vitamin B. Leg issues including weakness can result from B deficiencies.

If there are no signs of visible physical issues (e.g. bumblefoot, swelling/redness/pain at the joints, SLM which is common in multi general flocks) then consider changing to an unmedicated feed and supplementing with 1/4-1/2 human B complex daily in the interim.

A good feed choice for those in Aus is Vella Stock Feeds chick crumble or grower pellets. Decent protein and unmedicated. You can buy online at Pet Circle if you are not in NSW.

If you go down this route just make sure you have supplemental calcium in the form of flaked oyster shell for your layers.

 

[Eggcessive]

It would help to get a picture or two of the legs standing, so that we can see if there is an abnormal position of the feet or legs. B complex vitamins or a chick vitamin with riboflavin is very important to get started on. Make sure that the chick has a non-slip flooring to get a grip. Shavings, paper towel, sand, etc are all good.

 

[Astrohens]

Is the chick feed medicated? Medicated chick feed contains a coccidiostat which often works by blocking uptake of Vitamin B. Leg issues including weakness can result from B deficiencies.

If there are no signs of visible physical issues (e.g. bumblefoot, swelling/redness/pain at the joints, SLM which is common in multi general flocks) then consider changing to an unmedicated feed and supplementing with 1/4-1/2 human B complex daily in the interim.

A good feed choice for those in Aus is Vella Stock Feeds chick crumble or grower pellets. Decent protein and unmedicated. You can buy online at Pet Circle if you are not in NSW.

If you go down this route just make sure you have supplemental calcium in the form of flaked oyster shell for your layers.

I’m not sure if the chick starter is medicated, but I’m going to my local fodder store tomorrow so I’ll ask. He no longer puts pressure in his bad foot. His bad foot does look a bit like bumble foot now that I’ve had a closer look, but it could just be dirt. His bad foot shakes when he’s lifted up, is that a problem? I’ve attached a few photos but it’s not letting me post videos

 

[Astrohens]

I’m not sure if the chick starter is medicated, but I’m going to my local fodder store tomorrow so I’ll ask. He no longer puts pressure in his bad foot. His bad foot does look a bit like bumble foot now that I’ve had a closer look, but it could just be dirt. His bad foot shakes when he’s lifted up, is that a problem? I’ve attached a few photos but it’s not letting me post videos View attachment 3730054

View attachment 3730056

Here’s the good foot for comparison

 

[Lillith37]

His spurs look like toes, I’ve never seen that before!

I think Wyorp or Eggcessive might be better help than me… it looks like there could be a bumble on the pad of his pad foot but there is also that flaking and crusting everywhere.

Can you try very gently soaking the foot again and use a soft toothbrush or qtip to see if it’s dirt that comes off or a more widespread problem?

He also looks like he has the beginnings of scaly leg mites on the top of his foot where the scales are going dry and lifting.

 

[Astrohens]

His spurs look like toes, I’ve never seen that before!

I think Wyorp or Eggcessive might be better help than me… it looks like there could be a bumble on the pad of his pad foot but there is also that flaking and crusting everywhere.

Can you try very gently soaking the foot again and use a soft toothbrush or qtip to see if it’s dirt that comes off or a more widespread problem?

He also looks like he has the beginnings of scaly leg mites on the top of his foot where the scales are going dry and lifting.

Sure! His spurs are toes actually, he was born with five toes (that’s why we call him Fiver) I’m not sure what species he is though, I might be able to find out tomorrow.