Injured/Crippled 4-Week Old Chick

[Faverolle Lover]

I just recently got a chick from a friend and it appears to be injured/crippled. It is a four-week-old but it's stunted as it looks like it's only two weeks. After examining it for a bit I think that the problem is due to the tendon on the back of the hock. The original owner said that both legs had it at one point but she put it in a hobble. After having it there for about a week she took it off to find only one leg had healed. She never put the hobble back on and I wish she'd contacted me sooner as I know what to have done at that age, but now I don't know what to do. If I can't get it fixed I'm afraid that I might have to amputate it so that it doesn't cause more skeletal/social/balance issues. It can hold still but if it is slightly wobbled it'll scamper off to a wall and stay there cheeping. If there is anything I could do to avoid amputation I will gladly take it. Any suggestions will greatly help. Thank you!

 

[Faverolle Lover]

I just re-examined it (after getting it a few friends to keep her company) and I now believe that it is a dislocated hock resulting from untreated perosis or a slipped tendon. I think that I might have to relocate it in some way but I couldn't find anything on the internet. Any tips on how to not break anything? I've splinted adult chicken's legs before and that was hard enough, I don't want to have to care for a broken bone on something an eighth of the size although I will if needed.

 

[Eggcessive]

It looks like a leg bone deformity unfortunately. Usually there is not a lot you can do to help. Here is some reading:

https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/disorders-of-the-ske[URL]https://www.researchgate.net/publication/6401121_Valgus-Varus_Deformity_of_the_Intertarsal_Joint_in_Broiler_Chickensletal-system/noninfectious-skeletal-disorders-in-broilers[/URL]

 

[Faverolle Lover]

Just to update on what happened, we sadly had to put her down. After splinting it and massaging it I found out that it was a slipped tendon that caused bone and muscle deformity. As the weeks went by I realized that splinting wasn't helping her, and in many cases making walking worse. When she was about two months old, she had given up on life. She stopped eating, drinking, and moving and had a sunken look to her face. I decided that the only option was to put her down before she starved. I just want to point out to anyone that sees this that a slipped tendon is only fixable for the first week or so and can lead to disastrous results, so please fix it or let someone know if your chick has splayed legs for too long, it might save the chick's life.