Lazy Leg

[18angovem]

Hi, I have a 2 month old silkie that I found in the snow laying down a couple days ago with a leg that he wont use/ doesnt work. I felt all along his leg and cant feel any broken bones. He also does not show any signs of pain when I feel along it. Any ideas?

 

[Book Em Danno25]

which direction is the poor leg facing?

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you post a picture of the leg with him standing if possible. Is the hock (elbow) joint swollen, or does the leg turn out in inward? There are some leg bone deformities that get worse with age in chicks, or it could be injured. Put some chick vitamins in his water daily in case it is a vitamin deficiency. Here is a link or two to read about leg problems:
http://www.avitechnutrition.com/pdf/technical-bulletin/2009/Leg Weakness Disorders in Poultry.pdf

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

 

[18angovem]

The leg is facing outwords. It does not look swollen.

 

[Eggcessive]

The following link is about valgus disorders in the leg which cause it to turn out--click on each page in the link to enlarge print and pictures: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1790586/

 

[18angovem]

Ok, I think it either has a slipped tendon or a deformity. What should I do? Do I have to cull it?

 

[Eggcessive]

In the poultry pedia link above they give some instruction on helping a slipped tendon, but in all honesty, I don't think this is very successful. There are some YouTube sites that show how to reduce the slipped tendon in day old chicks. Here are a few good links to read from BYC folks with slipped tendon:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/756556/slipped-tendon-splayed-leg-confused
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/850983/new-chick-with-slipped-tendon
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...in-hock-joint-or-something-else-help-pictures
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/267256/slipped-tendon-in-4-day-old-chick-any-hope
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/854952/is-this-a-slipped-tendon

 

[ten chicks]

How long has leg been like this? You cannot always feel a broken bone,it all depends on the type of fracture.

I have successfully treated a slipped tendon in an adult rooster. To check for a slipped tendon run your thumbs down back of leg from hip to shank,press down, if tendon has slipped you will feel it,it feels like an elastic band/loose and springy(compare to another bird so that you can feel the difference)press down you should feel tendon snap back into place. This will probably have to be done several times a day or you can wrap to keep into place. With my boy i kept pressing tendon into place several times a day for approx 2 days,i did not limit mobility,but encouraged him to walk.With a slipped tendon it is common for birds to walk on hocks and use wings for balance. Feel leg really well to try and determine if it is a fracture or a tendon issue. Slipped tendons are also very painful.

 

[18angovem]

Oh well maybe it isnt a slipped tendon because he does not show signs of pain?...

 

[Book Em Danno25]

The leg is facing outwords. It does not look swollen.

maybe spraddle leg???? or is that just for turkeys...