Help Please! Injured Chick!

[Dragon Slayer Trinket]

Hi,

My mixed breed chick has been extremely unlucky. Her mother cracked the egg about 2/3 of the way through incubation, and I think she was slightly malpositioned. She had a hard time hatching, so I ended up taking a little shell off for her, but she got the rest by herself. Her legs were mildly splayed for a day, but they fixed themselves the day after she hatched. She's been dealing with pasty butt, so that's why she unfortunately has a bit of a naked rear end. I'm not sure if you can see that in the video. Her right leg has something wrong with one of the joints - If our fingers are her toes and our wrist is her ankle, the joint that would correspond to our elbow is the issue. It doesn't appear to be swollen at all, and it feels the same as her other joint, it's just facing the wrong direction. I noticed this yesterday. She doesn't like it when I try to gently turn it to face the other way, and rubber bands don't help. She slips a lot when she walks. She hatched sometime last Sunday/Monday night, so I think she's about 7/8 days old. I finished the hatch in the bator since her mother didn't see it through. She's in the brooder and has been in the brooder the entire time with two chicks, and then we got five more.

All help is appreciated, whether your advice is to cull, let her figure it out, or otherwise. I'd rather not cull her if I don't have to. I realize that I might need to for her quality of life, but if you have had any similar issues and have advice on how to treat whatever is wrong with her, I'd really appreciate that.

DST

@Wyorp Rock
@Eggcessive
@Pyxis
@SilverBirds

Ollie Leg Issues

• Dragon Slayer Trinket
• Jul 5, 2023

 

[coach723]

Can you get some up close pictures of the leg? It's hard to tell in the video. It may be a slipped tendon that has rotated the leg. A slipped tendon can sometimes be treated, the sooner it's done, the more chance for success. This link has info on treating, scroll down to 'fix slipped achilles tendon in hock joint':
https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry
This video shows the tendon slipping in and out of place:

 

[Dragon Slayer Trinket]

Can you get some up close pictures of the leg? It's hard to tell in the video. It may be a slipped tendon that has rotated the leg. A slipped tendon can sometimes be treated, the sooner it's done, the more chance for success. This link has info on treating, scroll down to 'fix slipped achilles tendon in hock joint':
https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry
This video shows the tendon slipping in and out of place:

Here's some photos. I can't see or feel a difference in her legs.
I also forgot to add - The hen that went broody and attempted to hatch my eggs was not ready for motherhood. There were several instances where she left the eggs for long periods of time and they would be nearly cool to the touch. I honestly don't know how they survived.

Ollie Normal Foot

• Dragon Slayer Trinket
• Jul 5, 2023

Ollie Bad Foot

• Dragon Slayer Trinket
• Jul 5, 2023

 

[coach723]

It looks a bit twisted to me, maybe take close ups of her standing on it.

 

[Dragon Slayer Trinket]

It looks a bit twisted to me, maybe take close ups of her standing on it.

Hard to do with so many protective little ones in the bin! It usually starts at a 90 degree angle to her other leg, and works its way back to nearly 180 degrees very quickly. She doesn't fall too often, she just kind of flops when she wants to go somewhere, uses wing for balance.

 

[coach723]

I would see if you can position it correctly , see if you can see the tendon moving. Follow instructions in the link for taping or splinting it, see if you can get it to correct. If left too long it will definitely not be fixable. It may not be now, it's hard to say, but worth trying.

 

[Dragon Slayer Trinket]

I would see if you can position it correctly , see if you can see the tendon moving. Follow instructions in the link for taping or splinting it, see if you can get it to correct. If left too long it will definitely not be fixable. It may not be now, it's hard to say, but worth trying.

Thank you very much for your help. I can't actually access the link for some reason. I've been doing some reading about chickens with similar issues who figure out how to get around, and we have the means to keep her safe from predators. I'm reluctant move her foot into position as it clearly hurts her, and as far as I can tell her tendon isn't slipped, and there's no swelling at all. At this point I think it might be a developmental issue since there were temperature and humidity fluctuations throughout her incubation period.

 

[coach723]

It could be a deformity or incubation/development issue. Hard to say. This is the excerpt from the link, there is much more there, but this is the mostly pertinent part, I don't know if the imbedded links will work for you:

Fix Slipped Achilles Tendon in Hock Joint​

Click here to read one little chick's success story of recovery from a Slipped Tendon & Perosis.

Click here to see a video of movement patterns of one chick with Perosis. Editor's note: The video says Perosis can't be treated after 24 hours, but I have not seen any other source say this, so I don't know that is true.

Editor's note: My limited personal experiences with trying to treat Slipped Achilles Tendon have not been successful. Some other people report they have had several successes. However, from my research, it sounds as though the majority of people find that if a few manipulation attempts don't correct the problem, additional attempts only cause significant unnecessary suffering and don't help the chick. Information listed below may not be sufficiently informed. Please do additional research to ensure best treatments. [If you have a success story, photos, or treatment tips, it would be very helpful if you would Contact PoultryPedia so they can be shared to help others!]

• Slipped Achilles Tendon is a condition that results when tendon that runs down through the groove on the back of a bird's hock has slipped out of place off to the side.
• This problem causes a serious form of Splayed Leg that cannot be corrected until the Achilles Tendon is put back in place. It may also lead to Twisted Leg and other problems if not treated soon enough.
• This problem frequently occurs in conjunction with Chondrodystrophy / Achondroplasia & Perosis, conditions in which nutritional deficiencies in parent bird's diet keep chick's bones from developing properly to hold tendon.
  • See "Ensure adequate nutrition to prevent Perosis" section on this page to be sure that your chick feed has appropriate amounts of essential nutrients, and try supplementing in extra if your chick is showing a problem.

• Symptoms:
  • One leg's hock joint may rotate out to the side or twist underneath the bird (showing Splayed Leg), depending on whether the tendon has slipped to the outside or inside of the leg.
  • The bird's leg will be constantly bent, and the bird won't be able to straighten the leg much.
  • The bird will not be able to use its muscles to bend its ankle correctly.
  • The bird will likely exhibit pain at least the first few days after injury. Birds may peep or cry repeatedly.
  • The back of the hock will look flat (Compare to other legs to double-check).
  • The joint will become swollen after a while.
  • The bird will not be able to use its muscles to bend its ankle correctly.
  • If the tendons are slipped in both legs, the bird will stand & walk hunched down / squatting on its hocks ("elbows"), and may use its wings for balance.
• Treat this problem as soon as possible, so the joint doesn't swell as much (making healing more difficult), bones don't become twisted, and the tendon and muscles do not end up shortened or deformed.
  • If the tendon has been out of place more than a few days, it will almost certainly be unbearably painful to the bird to try to fix it and you will probably cause more injuries.
    • This is especially true of young chicks because their legs are growing so quickly. Various bones, tendons & muscles will have done a lot of growing in just a couple of days and may have become too short, long or twisted so they can't allow the Achilles tendon to be back in the correct location.
    • If you catch the problem soon after it occurs, you could try gradually stretching the leg the leg a number of times a few days to lengthen the tendon, & then try correcting the placement.
• To reposition the tendon into the correct place: Gently pull the upper part of bird's leg a bit behind normal position and then carefully straighten the leg as though bird were stretching its leg back in a pretty normal stretching motion. Press gently against the side of the tendon if needed, holding the joint between your thumb & finger and rolling it back and forth gently. If the tendon has slipped, you will feel it snap back into place (and back out again, if the bone is not sufficiently developed). It should pop back into place pretty easily and cause little if any pain. Gently release the leg and it should return to a normal bent position.
  • Some sources recommend pushing the tendon back in place just by pressing with your finger. However, stretching the leg back is a much less painful method.
  • If the slipped tendon occurred recently but won't pop into the hock groove, there is a small chance your bird may instead have a rotated femur, which requires surgery.
    
• Sometimes a tendon has a hard time staying in place. It may have been out of place for too long or a chick's hock groove may not yet have developed enough to hold the tendon well (Be sure to provide very good nutrition to support optimal bone growth at this time. Do NOT give Calcium or other nutrients in excessive amounts, however--that could cause other problems.).
  • You can repeat the repositioning of the tendon additional times. This may help the tendon gradually lengthen & shape correctly, while the bone is also growing enough to hold the tendon better.
  • You can put the tendon in place & then ***wrap the joint area with sports tape*** or other tape to help hold it there. Use a thin strip of tape wrapped several times around the joint. Change the tape after a few days to ensure it doesn't restrict circulation too much.
  • It will also help if you put the bird in a Chick / Chicken Sling or Chair and/or put its leg in a cast (such as one made from a bendable drinking straw) for a few days (~5) while re-alignment stabilizes.
    • (Note: There is some debate on whether it is better for feet to not touch the ground--as recommended below-- or to touch the ground a little. Please research further when making the choice.)
    • It is important for the legs not be able to reach the ground. The bird needs to be suspended with its legs just hanging freely or in not-too-tight casts shaped in normal bent angle. In this position, the chick won't try to use its legs as much. Its legs need relaxed rest in their normal position until the tendon(s) have stretched and adjusted back to the right place and shape.
• Even after the tendon is back in place, the bird may continue to have some problems walking for a few days. If so, use a Hock Cushion(s) to protect its hock(s) from chafing & bruising during recovery. Limber the leg by gently stretching the leg several times a day, as you did when repositioning the tendon (Check to make sure the tendon stays in place.). If the chick struggles to figure out correct movements, Physical Therapy or short sessions in a Chick Cup (More info to be added.) may help.
• If the tendon does not go back in place, and you just want to help the bird have some more stability in the joint temporarily, you can try wrapping a soft bandage in a "figure-8" twist on the leg above and below the joint.

• You can try taking the bird to a veterinarian for a tendon that won't go into place or won't stay in place. The veterinarian may try surgery or other treatments. Click here to read one little chick's success story.
• However, costs can be expensive with various vets, results are not guaranteed successful, and the effort involved is significant. It is appropriate in almost all cases to instead put down the bird.
  
  
• If there is swelling on hock:

• If infection is part of what is causing joint to swell, there will be pus in the area, though it may be hard to definitely identify beneath the skin. In this case, recovery is usually not possible, and would be EXTREMELY difficult. In almost all cases the bird should be put down to avoid additional suffering.
• If swelling was just caused by displacement that has now been fixed, swelling will go down in 2-4 days.
• If there is non-infected swelling & initial attempts to put the tendon back in place aren't successful, you may try putting the bird in a Chick Chair for a day or two while giving nutritional supplements. This can allow swelling to go down before trying again, and possibly allow the groove to more fully develop correctly. Be sure to regularly stretch/extend the leg during this time to help the tendon lengthen.
  • *Be aware that Chick Chair treatment requires a lot of work, and it may not be successful and may only prolong suffering.

---

Ensure adequate nutrition to prevent Perosis leading to Slipped Achilles Tendon &/or Twisted Leg​

• Perosis occurs in chicks that are at least one week old and can be in one or both legs..
• It starts as Chondrodystrophy / Achondroplasia (cartilage & bone development problems) and can involve slipping of Achilles Tendon and twisting of long bones (condition called Twisted Leg)

• Symptoms: Enlarged, flattened hocks and short, bowed legs, along with slow growth. Chick may look dwarfish. One leg may stick out to the side, or there can be a variety of other leg angles.

• This condition often DOES result in a slipped Achilles tendon--See Slipped Achilles Tendon.

• Treatment: Deformities will not necessarily be completely eradicated but may be lessened by adding appropriate balanced supplementation and/or switching to Chick Starter or Grower Feed that has been commercially formulated.

• Manganese, choline, biotin, manganese, &/or zinc can be factors in Perosis & may need to be increased. Pyridoxine, folic acid & niacin deficiencies may also affect, and need to be corrected.

---

Physical Therapy for Trouble Standing and Walking​

• Use to treat Splayed Leg or other problems with chick holding legs incorrectly.
  • Can be done even while chick is wearing Leg Hobbles.
• Helps the chick "practice" walking correctly. The main purpose is to reprogram its brain patterns, but therapy also helps develop needed muscles.
  • It is better for a chick to spend time sitting or lying down than using its legs wrong.
• Support chick's body a little while gently pointing its legs forward and extended the way they should be while standing. Try to lessen your support of its body for a moment or two and hopefully the chick will push up with its legs and find out that leg angle and position is a good one for balancing.
  • If it's 5+ days old, you can also hold up a treat above its head to encourage it to increasingly push up with its legs to grab the treat. It's okay the chick's legs and balance will be wobbly at first and that it falls over sometimes--just catch and steady it with your hands.
    • Good treats: Very small piece of bread, tomato, strawberry, banana, lettuce, spinach, grass, etc.
      • Be sure to add a bit of chick-sized grit (tiny stones or coarse sand) to chick's diet if offering treats.
• Within a day or so of starting therapy, add in some walking therapy. Hold its legs with your fingers and move/step them forward one at a time so the chick learns to take steps and walk correctly. Try the best you can to arrange your thumb & fingers so you can push the rotated hock out to the side so that leg points forward pretty straight like it should as you're doing . This is tricky!
• Number of sessions for newly hatched chick:
  • Days 1-3: Minimum of six 30-second to 2 minute sessions per day.
  • Days 4-5: Minimum of nine 1 to 3 minute sessions per day.
  • Days 6-7: As needed.

---

Chick Cup or Chicken Basket for Trouble Standing and Walking​

• Used to treat birds recovering from Splayed Leg, a Slipped Achilles Tendon, a Broken Leg, or weak leg(s) and/or tipping over caused by various conditions.
• This is a physical therapy treatment that helps the bird develop correct muscles and correct mental programming of movement patterns.
• Place the bird in a vertical container that confines the bird such that its upper body is held fairly upright and its feet are spaced slightly wider than a normal standing position. For a young chick, use a container such as small drinking glass. For an older bird, use something such as a small trash basket.
  • It may be helpful to put something on the floor of the cup that will provide traction for the bird's feet. A circle cut out of rubber shelf lines or a washcloth may help.
• The bird will try stretching upward to reach out of the container. (You can also offer a couple treats above its head to help encourage this.)
• Give the bird regular sessions in the Cup or Basket perhaps 30 minutes or an hour a few times a day. The rest of the time the bird needs to be prevented from developing incorrect mental programming and muscle shapes by keeping it in:
  • Leg Hobbles
  • Chick or Bird Sling (or Chair)
  • Chick Donut
  • Chick Playpen

---

Ensure adequate Manganese to prevent Chondrodystrophy​

• Developed while chick is in embryo are noticeable as soon as chick hatches. Caused by insufficient Manganese in parents' diet.

• Symptoms: Short, thick legs & short wings. Rounded head. Slow feathering. Stomach bulges out. May cause "Star-gazing" posture.
• Prevention: Feed adequate Manganese to birds that are used for breeding.

---

Increase Niacin to treat Hock Abnormality​

• Symptoms in Chicks: Enlarged, flattened hocks and bowed legs, along with slow growth.
  • This abnormality usually does NOT result in a slipped Achilles tendon.
• Treatment: Add Niacin supplementation and/or switch to Chick Starter that has been commercially formulated.

Increase Vitamin D3 and/or adjust Calciumhosphorus balance to treat weak bones​

• Symptoms in Chicks: Rickets and weak legs. Chicks stop to rest every few steps, and squat on their hocks & often sway from side to side. Beaks & claws are overly pliable. Chicks develop slowly & have poor feathering.
• Symptoms in Laying Hens: Osteoporosis, bones soft or brittle & easily broken. Lameness, swollen hocks. Produce thinner eggshells & fewer eggs.
• Treatment: Increase Vitamin D3 in diet and/or adjust ratio of Calcium to Phosphorus (Research recommended levels on internet or by calling feed manufacturer.) in diet. Recovery in chicks varies.

---

 

[Dragon Slayer Trinket]

It could be a deformity or incubation/development issue. Hard to say. This is the excerpt from the link, there is much more there, but this is the mostly pertinent part, I don't know if the imbedded links will work for you:

Fix Slipped Achilles Tendon in Hock Joint​

Click here to read one little chick's success story of recovery from a Slipped Tendon & Perosis.

Click here to see a video of movement patterns of one chick with Perosis. Editor's note: The video says Perosis can't be treated after 24 hours, but I have not seen any other source say this, so I don't know that is true.

Editor's note: My limited personal experiences with trying to treat Slipped Achilles Tendon have not been successful. Some other people report they have had several successes. However, from my research, it sounds as though the majority of people find that if a few manipulation attempts don't correct the problem, additional attempts only cause significant unnecessary suffering and don't help the chick. Information listed below may not be sufficiently informed. Please do additional research to ensure best treatments. [If you have a success story, photos, or treatment tips, it would be very helpful if you would Contact PoultryPedia so they can be shared to help others!]

• Slipped Achilles Tendon is a condition that results when tendon that runs down through the groove on the back of a bird's hock has slipped out of place off to the side.
• This problem causes a serious form of Splayed Leg that cannot be corrected until the Achilles Tendon is put back in place. It may also lead to Twisted Leg and other problems if not treated soon enough.
• This problem frequently occurs in conjunction with Chondrodystrophy / Achondroplasia & Perosis, conditions in which nutritional deficiencies in parent bird's diet keep chick's bones from developing properly to hold tendon.
  • See "Ensure adequate nutrition to prevent Perosis" section on this page to be sure that your chick feed has appropriate amounts of essential nutrients, and try supplementing in extra if your chick is showing a problem.

• Symptoms:
  • One leg's hock joint may rotate out to the side or twist underneath the bird (showing Splayed Leg), depending on whether the tendon has slipped to the outside or inside of the leg.
  • The bird's leg will be constantly bent, and the bird won't be able to straighten the leg much.
  • The bird will not be able to use its muscles to bend its ankle correctly.
  • The bird will likely exhibit pain at least the first few days after injury. Birds may peep or cry repeatedly.
  • The back of the hock will look flat (Compare to other legs to double-check).
  • The joint will become swollen after a while.
  • The bird will not be able to use its muscles to bend its ankle correctly.
  • If the tendons are slipped in both legs, the bird will stand & walk hunched down / squatting on its hocks ("elbows"), and may use its wings for balance.
• Treat this problem as soon as possible,so the joint doesn't swell as much (making healing more difficult), bones don't become twisted, and the tendon and muscles do not end up shortened or deformed.
  • If the tendon has been out of place more than a few days, it will almost certainly be unbearably painful to the bird to try to fix it and you will probably cause more injuries.
    • This is especially true of young chicks because their legs are growing so quickly. Various bones, tendons & muscles will have done a lot of growing in just a couple of days and may have become too short, long or twisted so they can't allow the Achilles tendon to be back in the correct location.
    • If you catch the problem soon after it occurs, you could try gradually stretching the leg the leg a number of times a few days to lengthen the tendon, & then try correcting the placement.
• To reposition the tendoninto the correct place: Gently pull the upper part of bird's leg a bit behind normal position and then carefully straighten the leg as though bird were stretching its leg back in a pretty normal stretching motion. Press gently against the side of the tendon if needed, holding the joint between your thumb & finger and rolling it back and forth gently. If the tendon has slipped, you will feel it snap back into place (and back out again, if the bone is not sufficiently developed). It should pop back into place pretty easily and cause little if any pain. Gently release the leg and it should return to a normal bent position.
  • Some sources recommend pushing the tendon back in place just by pressing with your finger. However, stretching the leg back is a much less painful method.
  • If the slipped tendon occurred recently but won't pop into the hock groove, there is a small chance your bird may instead have a rotated femur, which requires surgery.
• Sometimes a tendon has a hard time staying in place. It may have been out of place for too long or a chick's hock groove may not yet have developed enough to hold the tendon well (Be sure to provide very good nutrition to support optimal bone growth at this time. Do NOT give Calcium or other nutrients in excessive amounts, however--that could cause other problems.).
  • You can repeat the repositioning of the tendon additional times. This may help the tendon gradually lengthen & shape correctly, while the bone is also growing enough to hold the tendon better.
  • You can put the tendon in place & then ***wrap the joint area with sports tape*** or other tape to help hold it there. Use a thin strip of tape wrapped several times around the joint. Change the tape after a few days to ensure it doesn't restrict circulation too much.
  • It will also help if you put the bird in a Chick / Chicken Sling or Chairand/or put its leg in a cast (such as one made from a bendable drinking straw) for a few days (~5) while re-alignment stabilizes.
    • (Note: There is some debate on whether it is better for feet to not touch the ground--as recommended below-- or to touch the ground a little. Please research further when making the choice.)
    • It is important for the legs not be able to reach the ground. The bird needs to be suspended with its legs just hanging freely or in not-too-tight casts shaped in normal bent angle. In this position, the chick won't try to use its legs as much. Its legs need relaxed rest in their normal position until the tendon(s) have stretched and adjusted back to the right place and shape.
• Even after the tendon is back in place, the bird may continue to have some problems walking for a few days. If so, use a Hock Cushion(s) to protect its hock(s) from chafing & bruising during recovery. Limber the leg by gently stretching the leg several times a day, as you did when repositioning the tendon (Check to make sure the tendon stays in place.). If the chick struggles to figure out correct movements, Physical Therapy or short sessions in a Chick Cup (More info to be added.) may help.
• If the tendon does not go back in place, and you just want to help the bird have some more stability in the joint temporarily, you can try wrapping a soft bandage in a "figure-8" twist on the leg above and below the joint.

• You can try taking the bird to a veterinarian for a tendon that won't go into place or won't stay in place. The veterinarian may try surgery or other treatments. Click here to read one little chick's success story.
• However, costs can be expensive with various vets, results are not guaranteed successful, and the effort involved is significant. It is appropriate in almost all cases to instead put down the bird.
  
  
• If there is swelling on hock:

• If infection is part of what is causing joint to swell, there will be pus in the area, though it may be hard to definitely identify beneath the skin. In this case, recovery is usually not possible, and would be EXTREMELY difficult. In almost all cases the bird should be put down to avoid additional suffering.
• If swelling was just caused by displacement that has now been fixed, swelling will go down in 2-4 days.
• If there is non-infected swelling & initial attempts to put the tendon back in place aren't successful, you may try putting the bird in a Chick Chair for a day or two while giving nutritional supplements. This can allow swelling to go down before trying again, and possibly allow the groove to more fully develop correctly. Be sure to regularly stretch/extend the leg during this time to help the tendon lengthen.
  • *Be aware that Chick Chair treatment requires a lot of work, and it may not be successful and may only prolong suffering.

---

Ensure adequate nutrition to prevent Perosis leading to Slipped Achilles Tendon &/or Twisted Leg​

• Perosis occurs in chicks that are at least one week old and can be in one or both legs..
• It starts as Chondrodystrophy / Achondroplasia (cartilage & bone development problems) and can involve slipping of Achilles Tendon and twisting of long bones (condition called Twisted Leg)

• Symptoms: Enlarged, flattened hocks and short, bowed legs, along with slow growth. Chick may look dwarfish. One leg may stick out to the side, or there can be a variety of other leg angles.

• This condition often DOES result in a slipped Achilles tendon--See Slipped Achilles Tendon.

• Treatment: Deformities will not necessarily be completely eradicated but may be lessened by adding appropriate balanced supplementation and/or switching to Chick Starter or Grower Feed that has been commercially formulated.

• Manganese, choline, biotin, manganese, &/or zinc can be factors in Perosis & may need to be increased. Pyridoxine, folic acid & niacin deficiencies may also affect, and need to be corrected.

---

Physical Therapy for Trouble Standing and Walking​

• Use to treat Splayed Leg or other problems with chick holding legs incorrectly.
  • Can be done even while chick is wearing Leg Hobbles.
• Helps the chick "practice" walking correctly. The main purpose is to reprogram its brain patterns, but therapy also helps develop needed muscles.
  • It is better for a chick to spend time sitting or lying down than using its legs wrong.
• Support chick's body a little while gently pointing its legs forward and extended the way they should be while standing. Try to lessen your support of its body for a moment or two and hopefully the chick will push up with its legs and find out that leg angle and position is a good one for balancing.
  • If it's 5+ days old, you can also hold up a treat above its head to encourage it to increasingly push up with its legs to grab the treat. It's okay the chick's legs and balance will be wobbly at first and that it falls over sometimes--just catch and steady it with your hands.
    • Good treats: Very small piece of bread, tomato, strawberry, banana, lettuce, spinach, grass, etc.
      • Be sure to add a bit of chick-sized grit (tiny stones or coarse sand) to chick's diet if offering treats.
• Within a day or so of starting therapy, add in some walking therapy. Hold its legs with your fingers and move/step them forward one at a time so the chick learns to take steps and walk correctly. Try the best you can to arrange your thumb & fingers so you can push the rotated hock out to the side so that leg points forward pretty straight like it should as you're doing . This is tricky!
• Number of sessions for newly hatched chick:
  • Days 1-3: Minimum of six 30-second to 2 minute sessions per day.
  • Days 4-5: Minimum of nine 1 to 3 minute sessions per day.
  • Days 6-7: As needed.

---

Chick Cup or Chicken Basket for Trouble Standing and Walking​

• Used to treat birds recovering from Splayed Leg, a Slipped Achilles Tendon, a Broken Leg, or weak leg(s) and/or tipping over caused by various conditions.
• This is a physical therapy treatment that helps the bird develop correct muscles and correct mental programming of movement patterns.
• Place the bird in a vertical container that confines the bird such that its upper body is held fairly upright and its feet are spaced slightly wider than a normal standing position. For a young chick, use a container such as small drinking glass. For an older bird, use something such as a small trash basket.
  • It may be helpful to put something on the floor of the cup that will provide traction for the bird's feet. A circle cut out of rubber shelf lines or a washcloth may help.
• The bird will try stretching upward to reach out of the container. (You can also offer a couple treats above its head to help encourage this.)
• Give the bird regular sessions in the Cup or Basket perhaps 30 minutes or an hour a few times a day. The rest of the time the bird needs to be prevented from developing incorrect mental programming and muscle shapes by keeping it in:
  • Leg Hobbles
  • Chick or Bird Sling (or Chair)
  • Chick Donut
  • Chick Playpen

---

Ensure adequate Manganese to prevent Chondrodystrophy​

• Developed while chick is in embryo are noticeable as soon as chick hatches. Caused by insufficient Manganese in parents' diet.

• Symptoms: Short, thick legs & short wings. Rounded head. Slow feathering. Stomach bulges out. May cause "Star-gazing" posture.
• Prevention: Feed adequate Manganese to birds that are used for breeding.

---

Increase Niacin to treat Hock Abnormality​

• Symptoms in Chicks: Enlarged, flattened hocks and bowed legs, along with slow growth.
  • This abnormality usually does NOT result in a slipped Achilles tendon.
• Treatment: Add Niacin supplementation and/or switch to Chick Starter that has been commercially formulated.

Increase Vitamin D3 and/or adjust Calciumhosphorus balance to treat weak bones​

• Symptoms in Chicks: Rickets and weak legs. Chicks stop to rest every few steps, and squat on their hocks & often sway from side to side. Beaks & claws are overly pliable. Chicks develop slowly & have poor feathering.
• Symptoms in Laying Hens: Osteoporosis, bones soft or brittle & easily broken. Lameness, swollen hocks. Produce thinner eggshells & fewer eggs.
• Treatment: Increase Vitamin D3 in diet and/or adjust ratio of Calcium to Phosphorus (Research recommended levels on internet or by calling feed manufacturer.) in diet. Recovery in chicks varies.

---

Thank you so very much. After reading this, I definitely think that it's not a slipped tendon. I really do appreciate all of your help though.

 

[coach723]

If it's not a slipped tendon then it may be a bone deformity. That could be from nutritional deficiencies in the parent stock, or incubation issues. It's hard to say. If vet care is an option, then imaging might answer that, but I know the expense is often to high or there is not access to a good avian vet. Good luck with the chick.