- Jan 21, 2008
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I had 7 RIR's that hatched the day after Christmas. A week later, one chick's legs was bent funny & had hardened feces stuck to it's knee. I tried to clean it off, but it keptcoming back. A second chick's leg didn't seem to work right (one stuck forward, one back). I kept watch over the 2 - the first wasn't growing as fast as the 5 normal & the second's legs didn't get better. I was trying to decide how to handle the situation when the second chick took very sick and I had my husband put it out of its misery. Last week, I separated the 5 'normal' chicks from my chick with the bad leg. She is about 1/4 her sibling's size, so I thought maybe she wasn't getting enough food. She hasn't grown much, and she walks on her 'knee'. I was hoping the situation would fix itself, but it clearly isn't. I have 50 laying hens (free range, they have an acre that is their area), 15 chicks born since Thanksgiving, another 25 on the way & I am not sure what to do with the deformed chick. If she were born to one of my hens, I'm sure she wouldn't have made it this far, but I don't know how to handle her. I think she has issues with a wing as well, but I am having an issue putting her down just because she is deformed. Plus, what is the best way to humanely put down a sick/dying chick? Thanks