Leg Deformity in Day Old Chick

[FallFlightFarm]

Help! I have a day old chick that lays on it's keel with wings out, head extended and it appears that it cannot extend it's legs...I put it in a bandaid hobble, but I do not think this is a spraddle. Anyone have any ideas? This is my first experience with incubating-some home grown, some shipped eggs, and I had a fantastic hatch rate-but this little kid is a bummer.

-Andrea

 

[X2Farm]

Hope you get some help! I just ran into this hatching some OE's from my own eggs. Chick is fine, but can't extend its legs, like they're locked in the folded position. Its very strange. It scoots around alright to eat and drink, but in 5 days, its not gotten any better. I'm stumped, leaning towards culling the one I have. I hope you find a solution!

 

[FallFlightFarm]

Thanks X2-I hope I (we!) get some advice too-when I first saw it in the incubator, I figured it had just hatched and was tired out. I put it in the brooder and it was getting trampled, so back in the incubator for now.

 

[X2Farm]

Quote:
Hey FallFlight~ I hope your chick is doing better!!!

I switched everyone to the big brooder this afternoon, and he wouldn't have been able to reach food/water, his legs were set/stuck folded up so I sadly had to put him down.

I guess no one else has had to deal with this before?

 

[FallFlightFarm]

Yes, I was really hoping someone would chime in that had experience with this-good or bad. My little one hasn't changed much-I offered water and feed today, and it tried, but I don't think it got much. Mine can't really even scoot around like you described yours could. I will likely euthanize it as well...I have 16 others to take care of. We will see what tomorrow brings. Sorry for the newbie question, but what are OE's?

 

[Steergirl]

Never dealt with this in chickens but dealt with it in calves, generally its their muscles, tendons, and ligaments are tight from being in a small space (in this case an egg instead of a womb) and you can just hope they straighten out because you can do some damage if you try to straighten it out for them. I know you can splint them but you have to do it gradually, each time with a longer/straighter splint and not push it. Sorry but usually unless the animal is very valuable or someone is willing to do the work the animal is put down.

 

[mmaddie's mom]

I'm so sorry for you both.... must not have had anyone with a solution on.... you might have had more response on Emergencies / Diseases / Injuries and Cures

again... sorry

 

[X2Farm]

Quote:
I hope your chick did better then mine

(just seeing this, sorry for being so late responding to your question)

OE= Olive Eggers, My Welsummer roo crossed over my Easter Egger hens should yeild olive greenish colored eggs instead of blue or regular green