Help! Baby Button Quail Slipped Tendon?

[Livvy0987]

I have a baby button quail who hatched on October 4th. She has been struggling for about a week now. It started with what we thought was a splayed leg, that has quickly turned into more of a concern. She is in good enough heath to where euthanizing her would be unnecessary. I called a bird vet and it would be 71 dollars to take a look at her! She is in perfect heath other than her little leg. I don't know what to do. The other chick gets so stressed when I take her out. She also freaks out whenever I try something. She can not even walk. If anyone on here has any advice I would love to hear it. (She is a very cuddly and friendly chick, there is no reason to put her down)

 

[AltonaAcres]

If she's cuddly and friendly then I would try to hobble her legs. Although it may be too late to correct.

 

[Livvy0987]

Thank you so much, I will try that right now

 

[Isaac 0]

How is your quail chick doing?

If you have a few pictures of her leg, that would be quite helpful. Or a video of her trying to walk. In case you're unfamiliar with how to post a video, you'll need to upload it to a video platform like Youtube or Vimeo, and copy/paste the link here,

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/how-to-attach-images-under-construction.1399465/

Poultry can suffer from several leg problems, including slipped tendons, varus-vagus deformities, riboflavin deficiencies, incubation malpositions, and genetic abnormalities. regardless of the problem, it's generally recommended the bird be put on vitamins, specifically riboflavin (B12) to address if it is indeed a nutritional problem and to support overall healthy leg growth and function. That would ultimately be my first suggestion, then, doing a quick overview of what you're keeping her in. Slippery bedding such as hardwood flooring, newspaper, slick wood, metal can caused their legs to slip outwards also known as "splayed legs".

It could also be some sort of genetic abnormality, or possibly a malposition while she was in the egg that caused greater muscle pull to one side of her legs than the other. Or something such as slipped tendon which can be caused by a wide variety of things ranging from nutritional problems to trauma, or malposition. These problems tend to be harder to treat than the earlier ones mentioned above, and often require a trip to the vet for surgery if the hock joint is swelled, or unable to bend properly. The surgery will likely be costly and may or may not work. It often consists of an incision done on the hock joint, where sutures are put in to fuse the periosteum to the trochlear ridge.

If caught early, sometimes the legs can be manipulated back to place, where a hobble or external coaptation device can be implemented to correct the deformity. This would best be performed by a vet, as if the leg is manipulated too much the leg can lose blood flow, or swell considerably.

https://www.merckvetmanual.com/en-c...ctious-skeletal-disorders-in-poultry-broilers

 

[Livvy0987]

Hi, Thank you so much for responding. This little chick passed about 2 days ago. It was very sad but now she isn't struggling so much. She was unfixable. I tried everything. Now I need to find my other quail a little buddy. Only 2 hatched. She cries for the other quail who passed. They were 2 peas in a pod.

 

[Isaac 0]

Hi, Thank you so much for responding. This little chick passed about 2 days ago. It was very sad but now she isn't struggling so much. She was unfixable. I tried everything. Now I need to find my other quail a little buddy. Only 2 hatched. She cries for the other quail who passed. They were 2 peas in a pod.

I'm very sorry for your loss. Best of luck finding a friend for her.

 

[Quail 66]

Hi, Thank you so much for responding. This little chick passed about 2 days ago. It was very sad but now she isn't struggling so much. She was unfixable. I tried everything. Now I need to find my other quail a little buddy. Only 2 hatched. She cries for the other quail who passed. They were 2 peas in a pod.

Too bad I entered the forum recently. If it happens to you again, ask me to tell you how I fixed a similar problem even though I was completely ignorant and I could not find any video for such an extensive problem.Of course every case is unique

 

[Livvy0987]

Too bad I entered the forum recently. If it happens to you again, ask me to tell you how I fixed a similar problem even though I was completely ignorant and I could not find any video for such an extensive problem.Of course every case is unique

Thank you so much, it's probably better that she passed. The little chick's life would have been difficult. When I found her she looked at ease/peace

 

[Quail 66]

Thank you so much, it's probably better that she passed. The little chick's life would have been difficult. When I found her she looked at ease/peace

Curly fingers are easy to fix. The legs are the problem. Mine is fine now but I don't know what deficiency causes the problem. Maybe she will have problems again when she will start laying eggs. Unfortunately it's a hen. good luck finding a companion for your quail.