Day Old Chick Can't Extend Leg Hock

[Alle]

This is my first time incubating chicks. I have had chicks multiple times and chickens from a good number of years. This is the first time I am seeing this. The chicks one leg will not extend. It is frozen in a bent position like it is laying down. The joint is not enlarged in size. Everything looks normal except that the leg will not move at the hock. Any ideas on what I could do? TIA

 

[Rowsdower]

It sounds like a slipped tendon. I haven't had much luck with fixing this in my chicks, but others claim to have success with vitamin supplementation and massage. Do a search of the forums. There are several threads concerning treatment.

 

[Alle]

Thank you. I'll look right into that. Would hate to cull her since she has the stamina that all the rest have.

 

[Rowsdower]

I know exactly how you feel. I am facing the same situation in my brooder atm. I have a little one with a badly slipped tendon. He gets around amazingly on his one little leg, keeping the other tucked up against his chest. I've been calling him "Pogo". He's the first to the feed dish and one of the biggest of the lot. However, I know that he will likely never be able to be part of my flock. The other birds just would not allow such a weakness to persist and I don't know what kind of life that is for a flock animal. I decided today that I am going to cull him. I just haven't "gotten around to it" yet.

 

[Alle]

I just saw a second of my chicks... who is still in the bator... has a leg issue too. Ugh. My humidity levels dropped and my last two chicks ended up with dry membranes. This is stressful. I can see why so many just get hatched chicks. 30 eggs with 17 hatched chicks. Two more that I'm working with. I guess that isn't too bad for a first time.