knock kneed chicks..please help

[Marine0351]

One of my chicks started walking funny and after inspection it seemed to have an injured knee joint. i read up on some stuff and thought maybe it was a vitamin deficiency. At the time it was the only chick with the problem. even after the medicated water the chick's legs have progressively gotten worse, and now another bird seems to have the affliction. the best way i can describe it is knock kneed. the joints seem swollen and bend at wrong angles(inward instead of back). is this Merak's? i know i will have to put the first out of her misery but am hoping i can save the second. do i need to separate them from the flock?. any and all advice is welcome as i am at my wits end with this. and yes i have tried splinting, manually stretching out the chicks legs and perching them.

 

[Eggcessive]

Please look at this link--go down to "Miscellaneous Leg Abnormalities" concerning aspergillis and fusarium mold causing knock kneed chicks. Click here: http://www.poulvet.com/poultry/articles/lameness_nutrition.php

 

[Marine0351]

i have them on vitamin supplements and the problem persists. i had read that post before that's what led me to the vitamin deficiency theory. they have been on vitamin supplements for over a week now. in fact i am on the 12th day today so almost 2 full weeks. i just cant believe no one has ever seen this before. its not mold either...i clean the coop with bleach once a week and would have noticed if there were mold present. i remove the chicks from their coop for several hours after i clean it so i don't think it has anything to do with the bleach either although who knows.

 

[Eggcessive]

I am not an expert on this, but fusillium and aspergilla are molds that can be present in the feed. Even though you open a brand-new bag of feed, molds can be present. I have bought some in the past myself. I have read that mycostatin put in feed or copper sulfate in the water would be treatment for aspergillosis. Copper sulfate is very toxic if given in too high a quantity. Vitamins wouldn't cure a mold-born disease. This might be a reason to consult a vet.

 

[Eggcessive]

Here is another link about those molds and mycotoxins: http://www.knowmycotoxins.com/npoultry.htm

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

i have them on vitamin supplements and the problem persists. i had read that post before that's what led me to the vitamin deficiency theory. they have been on vitamin supplements for over a week now. in fact i am on the 12th day today so almost 2 full weeks. i just cant believe no one has ever seen this before. its not mold either...i clean the coop with bleach once a week and would have noticed if there were mold present. i remove the chicks from their coop for several hours after i clean it so i don't think it has anything to do with the bleach either although who knows.

Does your supplement have B vitamins?

https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry
general poultry foot help

perosis:
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/6/diseases-of-poultry/220/slipped-tendon-perosis


http://www.clemson.edu/public/lph/ahp/disease_links/images/poultrydiseases.pdf
lameness causes

Any respiratory symptoms?



I don't have any idea what the diagnosis is for your chicks but hope this helps.

 

[Marine0351]

Does your supplement have B vitamins?

https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry
general poultry foot help

perosis:
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/6/diseases-of-poultry/220/slipped-tendon-perosis


http://www.clemson.edu/public/lph/ahp/disease_links/images/poultrydiseases.pdf
lameness causes

Any respiratory symptoms?



I don't have any idea what the diagnosis is for your chicks but hope this helps.

thank you...that was in fact very helpful. i did not know putting to many chicks together could cause spraddle leg, which this sounds a lot like and i had 15 chicks together in the same brooder. i will see if splinting and more vitamin B does the trick.....perhaps i just wasnt using the splints long enough.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote: I have had large groups of chicks together in the brooder and no leg problems...so I would think it would not be from that.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

There are other causes of joint swelling as well, such as mycoplasma synoviae - but if your chicks are new and from a reputable source that may be an unlikely scenario- I don't know. There are lots of chicks with leg problems on BYC that don't seem to have an infectious cause and who many speculate are suffering from vitamin deficiency.

Here is a link anyway...

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044
If you scroll down to the mycoplasma synoviae, you will note that it can be passed through the egg to the chick. I don't know how common it is, but I have read that most breeder flocks (hatcheries) from commercial sources are mycoplasma-free.

This is one good reason to buy your hatching eggs and chicks from a reputable source or someone you know practices good culling of all ill birds and keeps their flocks healthy.

Just a reminder that I am posting this link only in case you think they are truly sick later on...just lameness and joint swelling can also be from viral arthritis or other causes like vitamins and so on....

http://www.apa-abayouthpoultryclub.... SYMPTOMS FOR DIAGNOSING POULTRY DISEASES.pdf
scroll down to legs...I like this link a lot

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Please look at this link--go down to "Miscellaneous Leg Abnormalities" concerning aspergillis and fusarium mold causing knock kneed chicks. Click here: http://www.poulvet.com/poultry/articles/lameness_nutrition.php

That is a very good link...I have been to that site before in the past...just now clicked on it. Thanks as I missed the knock kneed chicks part.