Crushed leg chick

[lunarfound]

I have a chick that was delivered to the feed store with her leg crushed under the cardboard divider. They were going to do what they do because they would not be able to sell her in that condition. They offered her so me since I was already picking up my 2nd 1/2 dozen chicks. I took her home and have babied her for the past two weeks. She is still alive and though I was worried for while she has put on some weight and started eating and drinking normally. She is still the runt of the bunch. I have carefully kept her in with the rest of them because I want her to be socialized. They stepped on her a lot at first and mostly ignored her but now she is just one of them. Her foot has curled up and she only uses it for balancing. I talked to someone who had a similar problem and the chicken died after a couple of weeks. Has anyone else been through anything like this? It is my first time ever having chickens and all I know is what I have read. She was so full of life that I could not let her die! I just worry that I have simply prolonged the inevitable.

 

[horsejody]

Can she walk or hop to get around? Does she walk on her hocks? I think that as long as she can navigate an doesn't walk on her hocks to do it, she may be fine. Can you post a picture?

 

[Glenda L Heywood]

well the chicks body will live if the nutrients are there
and she will try to get around
you must realize she has problems and will not be like the others
so you will have a pet chicken and see to her living
some chickens can over come some obsticles as she is thriving with the others just enjoy her each day and she will be okay

I would give her the
probiotic mash
2 tso if dry crumbles
4 tsp of milk sweet, sour, buttermilk
1 tsp of yougart non flavored
I would feed all of them this amt each morning
the milk is a good way of getting her body to help her live
they generally eat it in 20-30 minutes then clean up the wet feeder and restock the dry crumbles for them all

 

[lunarfound]

She is eating better than she was last week and she lives with the rest of the chicks in my makeshift expanding brooder. I can't post an image because my home computer is in the shop. The toes are curled into a fist and she uses it for balance. She tends to hide in a corner a lot but recently she has been coming out more. She mostly gets out of the way when the others feed though. I take her out and feed her separately a few times a day. I spent a lot of time just watching them all and she does fend for herself more than I thought that she did. I will try the yogurt recipe.

 

[horsejody]

Have you tried a bandaid boot to straighten the toes?

 

[NotTheMomma]

I agree with the boot! Cut a circle of cardboard the size of its foot when toes are outstretched. Tape the toes flat onto the circle. Leave in place unless dirty, then replace it. Within a few days to a week, the chicks foot should be OK! It's in the shape of a fist due to contractions. The toes must be made straight.

BTW, I'm currently wearing something similar on my hand for radial nerve palsy. The toes may be stiff when you first remove the boot, and you might want to gently bend the toes a few times to loosen them. At least that's the way my fingers are when I remove the splint.

 

[lunarfound]

I have been trying to think of some kind of splint solution. I was thinking of strapping on cut toothpicks or something but I could not think of a way to do it. I like the boot idea. I will try that.