Help with chicks legs!!

[marlene]

I had 7 chicks hatch this evening and they are all adorable, unfortunatelly 1 chick does not seem to be able to walk. When it tries to walk it looks like a penguin moving from side to side and plapping its wing frantically, could it be spraddle legs? even though they went straight on to kitchen towels in the brooder.
I did look up spraddle legs on the forums and i'm not sure if it is or not but i still went ahead and put a band aid round its legs as suggested but had to take it off as it could not stand at all and just kept falling over every time it tried to move.
The pictures on the forums that i did see don't really look like my chicks legs, my chicks legs don't seem so spread to the sides, it's legs are in front of it and it's as if he's sitting on his bottom and can't stand on them.
I'm rambling on, sorry just concerned for the little one. Any ideas, suggestions, any thing appreciated. Will post a picture tomorrow if any one thinks it might help to see it, but for now i'm off to bed as i am in uk and it's late

 

[marlene]

Is there no one that can advice me?

 

[greenegglover]

https://sites.google.com/a/larsencreek.com/chicken-orthopedics/leg-braces


Go to this site for some info. Question for you is what type of bedding are you using? PINE shavings or straw mixed is better than flat newspaper on their legs.

Also search injury section....more advice....this has been happening a lot this year. I had one to, but she didnt make it.

 

[emvickrey]

I've had this happen a few times. They both where fine in a few days. What I do is I put that shelf liner that looks like weaved foam but it's not weaved. It has tiny holes in it. I have no idea what it's called but you can get it at the dollar store or walmart. Probably just about anywhere. I use the smaller size. Anyway, don't use any bedding on top of it, it washed out very easily. Anyway it will get a better grip with it's feet and be up inno time.

I also give them what I call physical therapy. I hold it with one hand so it's fet are touching my other hand and make it put a little pressure on y hand so it has to stand. You will have to keep putting it's legs down in the correct position. Maybe use a thumb to hold it's feet down and just let it use it's muscles a little at a time to stand like it's suppose to. Do it a couple times a day. If you just hold it a while do so by positioning it's legs in the position they should normally be. Keep putting them back in the right position because it will move them.

I also take the baby vitamins poly vi sol and I squeeze all the vitamins out of the eye dropper that I can and I just swish the eye dropper in a small can of water. I leave that for a day then give it plain water after that.

The last one that did this just scooted all over the place like it had no desire to get up. I did what I do and in 3 or 4 days it was up just like the rest running around like noting was ever wrong.

If you have it in a brooder with alot of other chicks you may concider putting it in a separate brooder with only a coulpe of buddies. You don't want it to get trampled and/or hurt any worse than it already is.
Good luck

 

[marlene]

Thank you for the replies.
The brooder has a good layer of shavings that are covered with kitchen towels as reccommended by a lot of members from here.
I will definately try the physio and see if i can help strengthen its legs.

 

[CluckCluck18]

Hey, thanks alot.....I have one like that, too. Didn't stand great and then plopped down alot. 36 hours old and a little better today and it doesn't seem like spraddle leg. The chick is a day premature and I'm going to use your physio routine. Thanks again.

 

[marlene]

I put the rubber shelf liner in the brooder and have been doing some physio with the chick on and off through out the day, it is now doing much better and walking good, well most of the time it is lol.
Thank you for the help.

 

[mrs b. bates farm]

rubber shelf liner genius

 

[emvickrey]

I have LG's so the temps and humidity seem to go crazy very often. That causes leg issues. So instead of culling a bunch of chicks, I tried alot of different things to help them. I haven't had to cull very many. When I did it was because the chick kept getting stepped on and jumped on. I actually saw some walk up to the poor chick and jump right on it's back or head. It's like they knew it was messed up and tried to kill it. So I started putting it in a different brooder with a couple that wasn't trying to kill it. That seemed to work.

If they're going to heal they seem to do it incredibly fast. Some take a little longer but for the most it's fast. I think the small dose of vitamins helps too. Too much and they get the runs. Then you have a whole new problem.

 

[CluckCluck18]

My chickies are doing better today. Seem to be stronger and we keep doing physical therapy a few times a day. I even saw them doing the funny chicken leg stretch without falling over. So I think we may be OK....I hope and pray....we've been having a rough go around here lately and could use some good luck!