HELP! Babies act injured; lifting legs and limping-- now toe pecking?

[Iluvmypeeps]

My baby quail is hobbling around the brooder as if he's injured, and that seems impossible when he lives in a big box. How can a bird get injured in a box?

He lifts up his leg, and lays down every now and then. He still eats, but he seems to like eating while laying down?

Interestingly enough, I picked him up and looked him over really well this morning and touched the affected leg to see where it hurt. I gently touched his hip, and there was the 'injury'; he squealed at me.

 

[chickenzoo]

It's amazing how they can hurt themselves. If it can still walk and eat, I would just leave it be and watch. If it is in the hip area it probably hurts like heck, so I would imagine. It could have tried to jump out of the box and landed wrong. Give it some time and see if it heals.

 

[Iluvmypeeps]

Thank you. That's nice to know that he could be okay.

He looks okay, he isn't lethergic or anything scary like that. He responds just as normally as his sibling does, the only difference is the limping. Also, his wings droop a bit. When he limps, sometimes it looks as though he puts his wing out to either break his fall or use it as a crutch?

 

[Iluvmypeeps]

Uh oh, I have some bad news.

The other chick is limping the same way as the first one!

I investigated the box to see what caused all this, and I notice the box flaps are sticking up a little. Maybe they tripped over this and got hurt?

Also, they lift up the affected leg every now and then and peck their own toes. I just don't understand.

 

[DTRM30]

I hope that is the probelm ! maybe limit their space so they don't move around so much for a few days to allow their legs to heal ?
I hope they do OK .....

 

[Iluvmypeeps]

Thank you, I sure hope they recover too.

Well, they are both still limping and both are still pecking their toes. The toe pecking is what really confuses me. Anyone know what that means?

 

[PoultryPedia]

I wonder if they are feeling pain running down through tendons into their toes and pecking at them as a way of responding to the pain (like we rub an arm that's hurting.

If they don't already have soft pine shavings for bedding, I'd definitely put down a couple inches of that. And put down one layer of paper towels on top so they don't have to lift their legs very high to walk.
I wouldn't use any other type of bedding because it won't be as soft when they walk or fall.

Also, if you can put water & feed close to the part of brooder where they like to sleep, that will make it so they don't have to walk as far while their injuries heal.

Best wishes