Day old chick with bad hatch experience under broody

[Life is Good!]

Which to fix first from a bad hatch experience.....weak leg (not splayed, just weak on right side) or twisted foot?

I've put a sandal on the chick's bad right foot. And since it struggled to get out of it's shell longer than it should have (got stuck due to dried out membrane), the right leg is also weak/not functioning well.

Momma broody (one of 4) abandoned it. I stuck chick under different broody, but she also rejected it. That was my clue to take a closer check on this little one.

It's now in our incubator for the night (to at least keep warm enough) - it's gotten water from a dropper a few times.

Poly-vi-sol (no iron) drops too. I'll add food in the morning, and get the brooder cleaned out and warmed up for this lone little chick. Thinking I need to snag a hatch-mate to keep it company, if Momma broody will let me!

But can I wrap it's legs for spraddle AND put a shoe on it also? Or is that too much?

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

So, the weakness and twist are both on the right leg? I think I would just attempt to fix the foot and assume the weakness is caused by the twist. I wouldn't treat for splay leg unless they're splayed. Good luck! I hope your peeper is feeling better soon!

 

[Life is Good!]

Update and more questions:

Thank you for the help. Yes, both the twisted foot and weak leg are both on the right side of the chick.

Gave the chick a light cardboard 'shoe' late last night, after I finally realized the chick was being rejected by it's broody Momma's (there are 4 right now). By morning, the medical tape 'wrap' had started to peel off.

So, we gave it a double Band-Aid 'flip flop', as my 11yo son called it, Sticky side of Band-Aid to itself, shaped sort of like a duck's foot. When I went to untape the foot, the foot nearly returned to original configuration - all three forward toes curled inward towards back toe, back toe curling downward towards floor. Consequently, got it flattened back out and taped up with the band-aids. Thus far, they've held.

Also got the chick into our brooder (brooder was in hayloft, so had to get cleaned out prior to use - why I couldn't do it in the dark last night!). So now, the chick has some head-room and can move about a LOT more. Brooder is made for 25 broiler meat birds, so to have 1 little Java in it is strange to see!

We're doing physical therapy every hour for a few minutes - getting chick to stand up on both feet (not lay down with feet underneath it), walk a little bit, get some additional water - try to peck at chick starter feed. Thus far, chick is gaining balance, but seems to get confused about which foot goes where! The right leg seems like the hip isn't quite right (or is it fluff is got 'bad bed hair?'!) as the chick when standing has the left leg correct - the right seems a 'wide' stance at this point. Although the balance is improving greatly as the day progresses.

Should I hobble chick also or let it go another day? This is day 3 since it started to hatch. (day 1 hatched, didn't get out; day 2 I helped it out and tried to get it accepted by broody, now on day 3). I know time is of the essence here! I also don't want a house chicken, would rather help it heal well enough to return it to broody (one of them!)......

Going to go take photos to include here also - brb....

 

[Life is Good!]

Update:

This morning, little chick's foot is nearly 'normal' in that when standing, the toes are spread as they should and all is pretty well with the foot.

If chick gets off-balance, the outer toe still tries to 'curl' but is stopped from doing so by center toe. So in order to develop those muscles better, I'm leaving the shoe off today.

However, chick is still very unsteady on it's feet. Getting stronger and able to hold itself up longer - but it consistently falls to the strong side (left side). Tries to prop itself up with it's left wing and regain balance. Or, will loose all balance and do a face plant into the paper towel! Still not sure about walking let alone running around - so for now, we're just working on walking during exercise sessions.

Chick did manage to figure out pecking the ground - but isn't at all stable yet when doing so. Kind of a drunken sailor effect when tries to peck at food on the ground or it's water bowl. I'm still hand-dripping water into beak to make sure it's hydrated. I've seen it get three pieces of feed into itself - not quite sure yet what that feed stuff is - but likes it. Just a whole lot of work to get it! (Peck, peck, wobble, wobble, wobble, fall, get up, peck, peck, wobble, wobble!).

Consequently, chick is still in the house. I'd rather it be out in the coop with it's siblings - but not quite yet. Broody #2's eggs are due to hatch in the next 72hrs or so - so I think this one will join that younger 'flock' so that it's more with similar developmental stages. Also, since the original flockmates have had food now for 2days, they're considerably bigger than this one. Nutrition does make a difference!

And now, I've got 5 broody's (2 with chicks, 3 on eggs)...gads, springtime is here!

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Glad to hear its doing better! You could make a very soupy mix of water and chick starter and "water" the chick with that. I give it in a medicine dropper, but you could probably just dip its beak. At least it'll get some nutrients to perk it up. If you have Poly-vi-sol (without iron) that will give it a good boost as well.

I hope it continues to do well, go chicky, go!

 

[Life is Good!]

Chick's foot is completely healed after about 34hrs worth of 'shoe treatments'. Because the toes were no longer curling at ALL, the chick was eating well, and trying to run around - I decided to return her to the coop with the now 5 broody hens (2 with chicks). I determined that she wasn't strong enough to run with her siblings, so I've put her with the next hen to have eggs hatch. She'll be about 5 days older but with her delays I think it'll be fine. This also gives her a few more days to get stronger still before joining everyone out in the run. Yes, my momma hens take their 3day old chicks out into the run with everyone else. So cute to see!

So, all in all, a fabulous ending to a potentially dreadful situation! Yeah chickie! (We've named her 'Dancer' as she still isn't quite certain about her footing - she takes three or four extra little 'steps' as she is standing still - perhaps trying to keep her balance? It's quite funny!)