Deformed Baby Chick!

[CinnamonQueen12]

Roughly three weeks ago, i hatched 3 chicks out of a homemade incubator. one chick came out with her foot crooked, and she couldnt walk on it. she would hold it up against her body and hop around on the other leg. we took her to the vet and the vet tried to hobble it and straiten her legs and toes. her toes are strait and she can put her foot down but the foot has twisted almost completely around. the vet suggests that we put her down but she is just so lively and healthy, although she is noticably smaller than the other two. the others do not bother her but when they go to eat, the poor thing gets scared and moves away, so i have to take her out of the brooder to make sure she eats. i dont want to put her down. shes my baby and i love her, but we already have 11 chickens outside and i dont know if they will try to kill her when she gets older. ive heard of chickens living with slight disabilities but she can hardly walk on this leg now. im trying to think of her future. can someone help? im not sure if theres anything left for me to do. ill try to get pics up so you can see how bad her foot is.

 

[CinnamonQueen12]

 

[CinnamonQueen12]

is there anything i can do to help her?

 

[CinnamonQueen12]

 

[carrlr]

I believe this to be splay leg. Some research on this site might reveal a solution.

 

[drdoolittle]

I have a roo that hatched in Oct. that is crippled. He didn't hatch that way, but about the time he was almost feathered out, he had some sort of accident in the brooder and ended up with a bent leg. He is active even though he can't stand, so I decided to let him live. He is a little on the small side, but started crowing last week. He seems happy, and is more crippled than your chick. Here's a pic.----this is his usual stance, unless he's hobbling around.

Here he is with his pen-mates:

 

[CinnamonQueen12]

I dont believe it to be splay or straddle leg because it came out of the egg this way. The veterinarian believes it is a vitamin A & E deficiency because all three chicks had curled toes when they came out of their eggs, but this poor baby was the only one who has the foot prob.

 

[CinnamonQueen12]

Quote:
He is beautiful! Best of luck! My only worry with my little one is that if it is a female, they will pick on it more that they would pick on a rooster.

 

[Memphisjourney2seramas]

I know several people that have kept deformed chicks as pets and they lived long and healthy lives. If it is suffering then I would put it down, but it doesn't seem to be suffering.

 

[drdoolittle]

Well, when my roo was in with the standard-size chickens (which he is one of), he did get picked on a little and would hide in the corner of the coop a lot. Now that he is in with my silkies and Sgs, he does great! They don't bother him whatsoever. Maybe you could keep yours in with one or two bantams?