Hock Joint issue

[mickbear]

i have a 4 day old chick that can't get up on its feet and has swelling in its hock joints.any ideas what might be the problem?

thanks
mick

 

[CoopCrazy]

What type of chick is it??? Meat chickens will have leg problems that young.. I havent heard of any others doing that

 

[mickbear]

its a buff orphington(sp).

 

[Tangerine farmer]

Join me in the swelling problems! I fear that it can be an infection such as a mycoplasma synovea (spelling) . It can be a staph infection (I have given several kinds of antibiotics to no avail for mine with the swollen foot that isn't bumble foot).

It seems that chickens can have a huge variety of problems that I never knew about a few years ago. Now I have introduced 4 babies into my flock and have introduced issues!

I cannot help you, I cannot help myself either! Sorry! I will not give up chickens but want to get my flock healthy once more.

Just make sure your little chick eats and then hopefully she can grow out of it... hoping its just a little injury, nothing major. There are posts here about how to handle splayed out feet etc, but a swollen hock could also be a systemic thing or a localized infection.

Best wishes!

 

[chicknfishn]

I have the same problem with 2 partridge silkie chicks. They were hatched 1 day later than the rest on May 4th. Both appeared to have spraddle leg, so I treated for that for about 2 days and then realized that it wasn't that. Both keep their legs, opposite ones up in the air and never use them at all. They never sit down either. They hop on one leg and when they sleep they lean against the side of the box. I just posted that I am having this problem and am hoping that someone will have some ideas for me. I am thinking about splinting the leg with Qtips to see if that helps. I love silkies and am just now getting back into chickens. This is my 2nd hatch ever and both have been very successful except for these 2 babies. I would prefer to try everything before culling. I am going to watch your post to see if you get any answers about your problem. Hope that we can find some solution!!

 

[Spinster_Sister]

I am having a very similar problem with one of my new chicks. She is a Buff Orphington and the first few days home from the feed store, she was running around and peeping up a storm. Then she started just staying down on her hocks, sleeping and when she was awake was losing her balance while standing up to groom or being knocked over by another chick. I thought for sure, I would have to have her euthanized but wanted to really give her a chance to get over whatever it was.

I started reading about the Poly Sol vitamins ( no iron) and I have definitely seen a big improvement in her ability to stand, walk, keep balance and even knock over the other chick for food! She still does go down on her hocks but instead of staying down for long bouts of time, she is down for a minture or two then pops back up and trots all over the brooder. She does still poop out and need to rest, but so does the other chick so I'll assume they're just doing what chicks do.

I started giving her greek yogurt with a swirl of the vitamins and putting drops of vitamins in their quart size waterer a few days ago. Still keeping up the regimen and will do it while in their chick hood. I also purchased Raw Unpasturized Apple Cider Vinegar and plan to add it to their diet, but when they cycle down from their vitamins.

I really don't want them off their food completely since eating spiked yogurt makes them wipe their beaks on the paper towels! (but they keep coming back for more!!)

To make a long story short...visit your local grocery/drug store and pick up the Poly Vi Sol (no iron) liquid vitamins and add it to their food and water. I don't think it can really hurt (unless their is a major problem) .... and search for more information on the board..

 

[chicknfishn]

How is your chick doing?

I put neosporin and vet wrap on my two babies last night and just redid it this morning. Last night the joint was quite swollen and the adcess hard. I just unwrapped and looked at them and cut off the old dead stuff on top and then put hydrogen peroxide on and more neosporin and rewrapped everything again.

People in different threads seem to think that it may be slipped tendon. But how does it get infected and get an open sore if it is just slipped?

Both chicks are still quite spunky , not giving up yet. I didp their beaks in water every so often. They are both eating OK.

I hope that this works. I really like these 2 silkie babies!!

 

[chicknfishn]

I have changed my 2 little ones bandages and one is sometimes now putting weight on its leg.

The other one keeps its leg stuck out in an odd way. So this one I used a Q Tip that I cut smaller and used it like a splint to make the leg stretch out. It seems to like it when its leg is stretched out. Both are still very spunky and eating and drinking, however not growing as fast as the others. But this is to be expected because they are not constantly eating like the others.

Keep your fingers crossed that it keeps working.