Keet doesn't walk right......

[horseychick2]

I got 7 guinea keets and 2 polish chicks almost a week ago. 3 of the keets are a little over a week old, and the other 4 are 1 week today. The chicks are somewhere inbetween. But one of the larger keets waddles instead of walks. S/he doesn't walk like the others. And s/he also crouches down a lot. S/he sometimes crawls too. Does anyone have any idea what might be wrong? This is my first time raising birds, and I just want them all happy and healthy.

 

[PeepsCA]

Check her tendons over the back of her hocks... if they move to the side as you bend the hock she may have a double case of slipped tendons. Difficult condition to fix, and a painful condition for the keet to live with. If left alone it will never heal and she'll never get up off her hocks. See if you can google some info on slipped tendons in poultry. Unless you are successful at fixing the problem, or you want to pay an avian vet big bucks to do surgery on the keet, she may need to be put down.

Sorry I didn't have more positive advice for you, but I've dealt with it before, and after a few days of the keet still suffering after my attempts to help fix it, I ended up putting the keet down

 

[horseychick2]

Aww I hope it doesn't come to that. She doesn't look to be in pain, but i don't know. I will check her now. Thanks for the info.

 

[horseychick2]

I checked her and nothing seems to be wrong. It just looks like her feet are kind of turned out. When she crouches, her feet are out to the side.

 

[PeepsCA]

If her feet are turned out, still sounds like slipped tendons to me

The tendons move to the outside of the joints because they have slipped out of the grooves, rather than moving back and forth over the hocks (in the groove). Once the tendons move to the side of the joint the keet can't stand. It hurts and limits the strength she needs to stand.

So... I'd try bracing her feet/legs up with a thin strip of vetwrap or some kind of sticky bandage (same method used to correct splayed legs). Use a keet her same size for a reference as to how far apart her legs need to be. See if she gets up and walks, having to deal with the limits of the brace. May take a day or 2. Or she may not respond at all and continue hock walking.

Check her breast, compare to a few other keets her same size, if she is thin in the breast area compared to the others then she is not eating or drinking as much as the others... and that indicates she is in pain.

Hope she pulls thru this

, but in my experience it's usually not a positive outcome with keets that start walking on their hocks. The longer she does it, the worse it gets. She can't survive as an adult like that, she'll be easy predator bait. Plus eventually she will develop sores on her hocks

 

[CYGChickies]

My three-week-old keet had a turned out leg and I took it to the vet. She said to isolate the keet somewhere with soft deep bedding and it should resolve itself. My keets' been isolated two days and does seem to be making some recovery. The keet is walking a bit better but is a bit quiet, although eating and pooping seems normal. I hope your keet's just had a small injury and isn't dealing with something more serious.

CYG

 

[horseychick2]

I just put a brace on her legs and she seems to be improving a little. I emailed the local vet (who works with birds) and described the situation. CYG, what type of material are you using? I might try that too. Thanks for the advice! I hope it works

 

[CYGChickies]

I use pine shavings from Orscheln. They're fairly easy to find and the babies seem to like them--especially when one finds an interesting (long or dark) piece and runs around the brooder with the other chasing. It's absorbent and soft but it can fly into waterers and feeders with a good kick from a chick. I wish you so much luck with your little guinea! A vet will know what to do I hope!

CYG

 

[PeepsCA]

You guys want to be careful with putting young keets on shavings, they can eat them, fill up on them, get impacted and die from it.

CYG, I'm a little concerned about your vet's advice... was this an avian vet, that actually works on poultry and other birds? IMO he/she should have helped you brace up the keets legs, as well as advised you about the risk shavings pose. Leg issues rarely correct themselves, and it's been my experience that it's better to have them on bedding that provides good footing/traction as well as being braced up to keep the legs aligned so they are using the leg correctly and letting it heal correctly in the correct position, as opposed to putting them on something deep and soft and just waiting to see of it corrects itself

If something soft is really needed for bedding, a big fluffy towel would be my choice.

 

[southern oaks]

my keets start out on rubber shelf liners from the dollar store that can be cut to size. then I put a piece of cut up towel in one corner. I am wondering if your keets were shipped to you in a plain cardboard box that could have caused the problem? The rubber matting is great. I keep extra and when i change the brooder i take the used one out, put another piece in and wash the first one outside and hang them. they can be reused. I dont let any of my keets or ornamentals in shavings till they are a bit older. Just my opinion. I am sure others will do it other ways.

all works out for the little one