I have a hurt chick , what do I do?

[JesusFreakzzz]

With the unknown here, if it's moving it at all, that's a good sign. It could have sustained an injury being moved around from truck to pen, and hopefully it's not an internal injury to the bone.

Just in case, if you have some B-complex, as in human pills, I'd grind up 1/4 of one for him, and mix it in a small amt of mash, so he eats it all. Just once a day for a week or two. If you don't have any and want to buy some at Walmart or drugstore, it's a lot easier to administer the liquid B-complex. The one we have, a full human dose is one eyedropper full, so for him, I'd go a 1/4 of that. If it's a little too much it's okay. B is one thing that just clears their system.

You could design a little chicken chair for it. What we did for one little one was stretch a piece of cloth over a coffee cup with a tight rubber band. Then guestimate where the legs will go through and use a sharp knife and scissors to create two leg holes. Push the cloth down just a bit into the cup before putting him in it. I would keep him in that for a few hours a day so he rests it. Be sure to offer him mash or dry, and water every so often while he's in there.

Thank you. I will try the chair thing. He is moving well, we had him in a small box separated from the other baby’s so they wouldn’t walk on him , and he jumped out of it in the middle of the night. I’m guessing if he got the strength to jump out of the box, to get to The others, then he is probably healing. I just don’t want him to make it worse by moving around or getting walked on by the others.

 

[JesusFreakzzz]

Update: The chick is doing good, he is walking on the leg more and mostly getting around by standing on the other leg. He is getting good at walking with one leg. I have noticed some swelling around the joint were his leg bends but I’m hoping with some rest that will go down. He is eating more , but I have to help him stand to eat since he can’t do both.

 

[Hykiko]

late joining in, needing some help. this is the most active thread and don't want to start a new one. I had a chick who hatched last wednesday, was doing fine. Thursday one of my kids dropped the chick and now it doesn't want to put weight on the leg.

I'm trying the hobble technique but don't know if it's helping or not.

 

[JesusFreakzzz]

late joining in, needing some help. this is the most active thread and don't want to start a new one. I had a chick who hatched last wednesday, was doing fine. Thursday one of my kids dropped the chick and now it doesn't want to put weight on the leg.

I'm trying the hobble technique but don't know if it's helping or not.

Try the chair thing, one of the comments on this thread described it. It has helped my chick. Hope your chick gets better.

 

[alinas2010]

late joining in, needing some help. this is the most active thread and don't want to start a new one. I had a chick who hatched last wednesday, was doing fine. Thursday one of my kids dropped the chick and now it doesn't want to put weight on the leg.

I'm trying the hobble technique but don't know if it's helping or not.

Hopefully with the previous advice given here you are able to get her healed up. Unfortunately there isn’t a ton to be done for leg injuries without vet care. Feel up and down the leg gently for anything out of place or swollen - that way you can at least maybe pinpoint the injured part.

Sometimes they just need time off the leg to get it healed. Splinting is an option for breaks but it can sometimes cause more issues, especially if done incorrectly or too tight. As the OP said, a chick chair is an option and could work well to remove weight off her leg if she’ll tolerate it. I hope your chick improves after a few days and it isn’t anything permanent.

 

[JesusFreakzzz]

Update: my chick is about a month old, his leg hasn’t healed. He gets around good for a one legged chicken. He still cleans himself and scratches the hey. But he doesn’t use his leg, in one of the pictures it looks like his leg at the joint is swollen. That spot feels hard but he can bend the leg he just didn’t put his weight on it. He is with two 2 week old geese and they are really attached to him. I think they will be his protectors when they all get older. We also got 6 new baby chicks in the pin. They are younger than him and I am watching them go make sure they don’t peck at him because of the injury, but so far they are all doing good together. Any tips on his leg would be helpful though.

 

[alinas2010]

Update: my chick is about a month old, his leg hasn’t healed. He gets around good for a one legged chicken. He still cleans himself and scratches the hey. But he doesn’t use his leg, in one of the pictures it looks like his leg at the joint is swollen. That spot feels hard but he can bend the leg he just didn’t put his weight on it. He is with two 2 week old geese and they are really attached to him. I think they will be his protectors when they all get older. We also got 6 new baby chicks in the pin. They are younger than him and I am watching them go make sure they don’t peck at him because of the injury, but so far they are all doing good together. Any tips on his leg would be helpful though.

I still wonder about the healed over injury on his joint. To me it seems he may have had some sort of traumatic injury that caused this. It may still heal more and he may get more use back as time goes on, you never know. Unfortunately, unless vet care was an option, I’m not sure a lot more past what you’ve tried can be done about it. A lot of chickens do get a long okay on one leg, you just will have to be vigilant, as you are, that he gets food and water, etc. without being bullied by others. Did you try the vitamins as suggested? Do you have an updated picture you could post?

 

[JesusFreakzzz]

I thought I sent more pics but i guess it didn’t go through. Yes I have been giving him more vitamins and protein. Since he is living with my young geese he sometimes gets there food that has that one vitamin that starts with a N for the leg strength. Idk how to spell it. But I thought it can’t hurt him to get some of that to.

 

[alinas2010]

I thought I sent more pics but i guess it didn’t go through. Yes I have been giving him more vitamins and protein. Since he is living with my young geese he sometimes gets there food that has that one vitamin that starts with a N for the leg strength. Idk how to spell it. But I thought it can’t hurt him to get some of that to.

I agree, the vitamins can’t hurt. Sure is a cute little chick. Yes, I see where the joint is swollen. Unfortunately, I just am not sure much more can be done to help. He may need more rest off of it and he will self limit as needed. Maybe eventually try a bit of physical therapy if it doesn’t seem to hurt him, gently moving it each day. He might surprise you as he grows and use it more and more. Maybe someone else will have better advice, I’m sorry I’m not more helpful. Keep us updated if he changes, though.

 

[JesusFreakzzz]

Update: we named the chick onyx after his breed name. Today was his first day outside along with are 2 young geese. He is still getting around good but he can’t be put with the older chickens. He will probably be with the geese and ducks the rest of his life because we know they won’t peck at him like the chickens will. He is going threw that awkward stage between fur and feathers.