it seems one of my chicks may have broke it's leg!!!

[300hj]

I'm at a loss at what to do here. One of my button quail chicks has a leg that is tucked tightly near its body and is using its "knee" in place of the foot. It wasn't like that yesterday so I think it may be broken. Does anybody know how to help it heal or is there completely nothing I can do?

 

[300hj]

here's a picture

 

[joe125]

What are you brooding them on? My guess is splay leg because they are on a slick surface.

 

[mhwc56]

hmmmm... that could be a break at/near the knee....not sure.
try textured,rubber shelfliner or terry toweling for bedding if you aren't already ,give electrolytes in the water and see if you can gently set /splint the leg with a bandaid or some such thing...that should cover ALL bases i think. Hope the poor little thing improves quickly!

 

[300hj]

so what i should do is wrap a small bandaid around the "break" so it becomes almost straight( where it would be dragging it along the ground?)

 

[mhwc56]

Quote:
do you have proper non slip footing for the chick? If it's supporting itself on it's joint the skin will get worn off and a sore will develope and infection set in so , yes,
if you are able to make some type of splint for the leg to correct it 's position that seems like it's probably your only solution besides culling.
Be careful ,i have found that the tape will really hang on to the chick's skin and it 's sometimes difficult to remove later on.
Hope it works out !

 

[snyd08]

normally a very young chick like that wouldnt be breaking any bones yet... but thats just my opinion. i agree with above. either has to do with a bad hatch or splay leg in some form. no newspaper! too slick. use shelf liner. or use what i use... it;s horse bedding made from cob. absorbs the best. as well as absorbs all odors along with it lasting a looonggg time. plus they have great footing on it. good luck! pray it isnt a break!

 

[300hj]

it's on an old washcloth so i don't think it had anything to do with the flooring since it has those "follicles" like on a rough bath towel. still...im sorry to say but it died yesterday. i guess things just happen, but at least I'm learning.

 

[joe125]

Quote:
Sorry to hear that, but sometimes that does happen. Don't beat yourself up over one loss. It can happen to even the most skilled person!

Now, lets look on the bright side....More time to spend caring for the healthy chicks!