Half blind, crooked neck, walks on toes..

[Hankj]

Okay... We were hatching chicken eggs in my Environmental Science class and this chick was the first to break through the shell. Four days later it had not made much progress and we were worried it would starve. So I didn't like seeing that so I offered to take it home, to my father who was a chicken farmer in his youth. He broke part of the shell off, just a small amount, and he made some progress. Few hours later, a little more, more progress. One leg got out and that's as much as it got for the rest of the night.

My dad said, if it can't make it out, its not meant to be. I don't think like his farmer attitude and I believed it should have a chance; We help babies that can't make it out of the womb, right? So I helped its remaining leg out and freed its neck and head of the remaining shell. It didn't do much movement at first and there was still shell stuck around its eye and the right leg stuck out, not under.

My father told me to put a rubber band around its knees and that would fix the leg, I did that and I came home last night and it had the rubber band off and was walking, leg is much closer to normal position. I removed the egg shell from it's eye, but it still won't open the right eye. Also, the neck is kind of crooked to the right, where it was in the shell. And the last thing, it doesn't open up its toes, or talons, it just kind of walks with them curled under.

What else can I do for it?

 

[goldysgirl]

I have no idea what you could do...but I think you are great for trying to help the little guy.

 

[chickenzoo]

Try to give a little vitamins. Poor little thing had a rough start. Neck is probably stiff from being in the scrunched position. Toes can be fixed by taking a small piece of duct tape, stick the chicks foot down on it, straightening out the toes. then sandwich it with another piece of tape. You have now made chick shoes. Leave it on for a few days to a week and it should help.

 

[GreenGoddess]

For the neck problem, get some poly-vy-sol vitamins (without iron) and give the chick one drop.. Then put a few drops in it's water also..

For the eyes, take a cotton ball and wet it with warm water.. Gently rub it across the eye going from beak to back of head.. Do not try to pry the eye open as this can cause damage.. Make sure there is no goo keeping the eye closed.. If it still don't open, you can try to put some saline on the eye a few times a day.. If it never opens the eye, don't worry too much.. There are people on here who have chickens with only one eye (and some with no eyes or completely blind) who do just fine..

For the foot problems, do a search on here for a "boot" made out of cardboard or other stiff item.. You need something that will sit under the foot and make the toes flat so they can heal into normal position...

Goddess