HELP!!! I have a chick with a possible broken or sprained leg.

[dlhunicorn]

what you use is dependent on the age of the bird (older/larger birds will recquire something a bit more stable than tape) and where the break is located... sometimes a split drinking straw is used to stabilize (over padding of course) etc.... when you use gauze you must cover it to keep the birds from picking and ingesting the threads.

 

[brady]

O dear, well i used the gauze to isolate the leg and stapled the plastice around it, poor little thing wouldnt stop squerming. well now he will move around but seems to be getting sleepier, he'll be eating his food and kinda just dooze off

I feel so bad for the guy, his leg just drag's behind him and he tries to use it but can't. I dont have a flock of chick's just this one my friend got me from a local fair so this is all so new to me. I called around to some vet's to see what they can do, i only found one and it cost a lot more money than i have to get his leg professionally fixed. He is eating his food, but rarely drinks the water so i try to splash a little water on his food. the only other thing i do for his is try to rock him to sleep, just so he can relax. And I turned his light off during the night so he can get some sleep. I dont know if I should just bring him to a no-kill animal shelter or if i should just hold on to him and hope for the best. I will say that I am very thankful for all the responses I got from my first post it was very nice of ya'all, thank you.

 

[dlhunicorn]

it is crucial he drink sufficiently...put electrolytes/vit (you can purchase at feed store) in his waterer. Gatorade or unflavored pedialyte will do in a pinch till you can get from feed store. A bird can become dehydrated very quickly and this will kill him quicker than the original ailment. dribble a bit of water alongside the beak to initiate.... add water to the feed to make a mash and offer live culture (not pasteurized) yogurt free choice.

 

[brady]

i dont know of any feed stores in my area, ive called all the pet stores they dont know anything. do u think pedialyte from the grocery store would work?

 

[chickenlisa]

I had a 6 mo old pullet with a broken leg last month. I read on here and the link that showed how to take the leg up. I did that and isolated her in a small cage (and put that in the coop with the other chooks) and left her there for 3 weeks. During that time, I fed her scrambled eggs, tomatoes, her reg feed, water with terramycin in it, just in case, and added a popcicle stick (1/2 of one) taped to her longest toe. I did this as she was curling it sideways or under and didn't want her to have other problems once her leg came down and starting bearing weight. Well, 2 days ago, I saw her pacing and running around in circles in the cage with both legs bearing her weight equally. I opened the door and she ran out and started digging in the dirt and giving herself a dust bath. Everyone left her alone, or rather didn't peck at her at all, b/c she had been right in the midst of them the whole time. So the tape is still on her at this point b/c I wanted to give her a little extra stability in case she jumps or climbs. If she still shows no limping or favoring it, I'll remove the tape later today or tomorrow.

Hope that helps you with yours.

Lisa

 

[brady]

did you allow her to bear weight on it, or was the leg dangling behind? i dont know if the stress from being lopp sided will hurt him or stress him out more causing a more seriuos injuries or death, or if i should just brace the broken part and let him bear weight on the leg. i feel as though i should brace the whole thing and just let it dangle behind in order to let the leg heal naturally. but i also dont want him stressed out anymore than he already is.

 

[bantymum]

Im sorry you have to go through this on your own!
Do you know where the fracture is? if its high up then it will take longer to heal.
Be careful if you try to forcefeed the water that you dont drown him thru lungs.
Just do as dhunicorn said and dribble it alongside his beak.
If you try to pour it in his mouth you may miss the throat and head down the respiratory tube into lung. This happens when some people worm them.
They die within seconds.
I really cant think of any more advice, I wish I could but hopefully someone else here can.
Perhaps some bits of bread soaked in vitamin and water mix will hydrate him.
I bought some children's vitamin drops for my baby ducks, I add it to some water and hand feed them bits of bread soaked in this solution, they gobble it down.
Good luck , keep us updated.
If you feel you cant help him anymore, no one will blame you for turning to other options (shelter) but just give him time if you can. and get the vits into him to give him some strength!
Hugs
Helen

 

[nh10ring]

Brady,

Your experience sounds similar to one we recently had, where our chicken's leg got caught up in some chicken wire and she was found dangling upside down. We were not sure if it was a break or torn tendons and could not find a vet willing to look at her. Her leg also dragged behind her.

We seperated her from the other chickens by putting her in an old dog cage, gave her access to food and water, placed a heat lamp over her cage and gave her reiki (rake-ee) treatments. I wasn't sure that she was going to ever walk again as that legs just dragged behind her the whole time. But a few days later, we found her standing and walking. She has a limp, but gets around fine. As one who believes in the healing power of reiki, I like to think that had much to do with it. But one can't rule out time. Beacuse of this experience (and others in the past) I started a thread on this board about reiki for injured chickens. If nothing else, you may want to consider it as an option. Good luck and hope to hear that your chick is walking soon.

 

[chickenlisa]

sorry, I just got back to this thread. Our hen was holding her leg up against her body...tucked up high and hopping on the other leg. So removing her form the climbing, jumping, competing for her food and water just helped her be calmer. She still held it up for over a week (when it was taped) but then I noticed her letting it down a bit, then using it a little to limp with and holding a little bit of her weight, then more and more til that day I saw full use of it when she walked. I've been still watching her when I go out there and she seems 100% better. She's holding her own at the feeding stations and digging and hopping and jumping all around like the others.
Hope you have the same results.
Lisa

 

[brady]

OK here is the "update" on Lil Foot

.. SOrry it took so long. I decided to bring him to a shelter for a couple of reasons, main one being is I grew attached to him and I couldnt stand to not know if he was in pain or if he may possibly get better with just our help. I tried to spling his leg I was too unsure that it would heal the right way so I gave in. Needless to say the Wild Life Rescue people coudlnt take him cause he isnt considered a wild animal to them. They than directed me to the vet down the street. Well luckily they siad that they would take him and if they could fix him they would find a home for him.

I suggested that I would take him back. Well I called the next day and the women that I spoke with said that he was doing fine the doctor had already seen the lil guy and splinted his leg, YAY! She also suggested that I let her take Lil Foot home with her cause she already had chickens at home, and that would probably be the better of the homes cause I dont have any other chickens. And besides I didnt want him to be lonely.

But I do have to thank you all for all of your advice it helped me out a lot, and Im sure other people have found some help in here as well, thank you dearly.