Injured chick??

[sadie423]

Yesterday my 6 yr old dropped one of our 1 wk old chick on the floor while holding it- I **think*** the chick is one that is now not moving too well (we have 25 and cant quite tell them all apart yet) but she is not walking and when I picked her up it looks like she is holding her leg up a bit. She scoots around and tends to sleep by the food and will eat and drink. I tried putting her in a box within the brooder box but the other kept jumping in. Should I remove her completely and make a little box in the house where she won't get trampled on? She is brown/red and I am assuiming a NH or RI Red, all of which seem a little less active than say our bigger yellow chicks. Thanks for any advice
Sarah

 

[Flufnstuffs~FluffySilkies]

YES you need to move her.
When a chick is injured and you have it in with a large group of active chicks they will run her ragged not letting her have the time to rest and heal. She will become week and may even be injured more.
Right now I have 2 chicks that hatched 2 days later then the others. when I put them in with the 2 day olds I thought they would be fine because normally they are.
But when I woke up in the morning one had a hurt leg and the other one was fine but I noted that that it seemed tired.

I SEPERATD them both 2 days ago, the one is totally fine and the other is on the mend. I am going to continue keeping them apart for a few more days. THEN I will put them in with the others only taking them out to sleep alone.
until I am sure there will be no more problems.

 

[therealsilkiechick]

yes i agree with mel!! if not seperated it will make injury worse or they will run her over till she dies because she is weaker and they will know it and she can't get out of their way.

do u have a pic? are u shore it is not spraddle leg? if it was hatched with it u may not have noticed with so many chicks if not treated it will stay that way. if it is sprained u can treat it similar. with a pic it would be easier to tell you what is wrong and what she may need.

by herself she will probably peep alot and cry if ya have to put a little stuffed animal in for her to snuggle with or wash cloth or something so it doesn't feel so alone. sometimes i wrap small ticking clocks in with them also wraped in a wash cloth so they think it is a heartbeat. make sure she has a heat lamp to stay warm also and keep the box beside their box so she can hear the others.
silkie

 

[sadie423]

Thanks for the replies. I put her in a taller box in with the others so she can hear them and has the heat. When she stands she seems okay, but she keeps the toes on one foot curled in and when she walks or tries to stand her wings will fall to the sides- maybe to help balance? unless her wings are hurt too? This is our first go round with chickens so other than what I have read I don't know much, I'll see if I can get a pic, but she appears normal when laying.
Thanks
Sarak

 

[therealsilkiechick]

that works too i've done that before also.

hmm.. if she is useing her wings yes it should be for balance my hen does that she has stubs from haveing severe frostbite a few mths ago. that's how she gets around. curled toes shouldn't really mess her walking up that much. i use band aids and pipe cleaners to splint the toes to help straighten them usually after a few days ya can remove it and they will be fine.