Leg Deformity

[VA Chicken Farmer]

Hello,

is anyone aware of what this condition is or how to fix? She’s a 6 week old Barnevelder and is about half the size of her sisters. Is this straddle leg? She’s somewhat mobile, but is separated from the group. Any information would be great.

 

[aart]

@Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive

 

[Eggcessive]

That appears to be varus deformity which looks like bow legs, and is more common in meat or broiler chickens. But all poultry and chickens can suffer with it. Do the legs feel rubbery at all? Rickets and calcium/phosphorus deficiencies are also common if they are not getting a balanced chicken feed with vitamins and minerals. Here is a good article about varus/valgus and other leg bone deformities:
https://www.researchgate.net/public..._of_the_Intertarsal_Joint_in_Broiler_Chickens

 

[Robin9876]

Hello,

is anyone aware of what this condition is or how to fix? She’s a 6 week old Barnevelder and is about half the size of her sisters. Is this straddle leg? She’s somewhat mobile, but is separated from the group. Any information would be great.

Hello- My chick has the same issue. I took her to a vet who cares for chickens and she told me she probably did have straddle leg, and because it wasn’t caught early enough, it tore her ligament on the hock, which now will not heal back to normal. The vet put a splint on the leg to see if it would help her maneuver, but it was too cumbersome. I took if off and she gets around just fine. Doesn’t seem to bother her. Her 2 sisters do not bully her and she eats and drinks as much as they do. We named her Hope. They are just over 5 weeks and Hope is much smaller than her “egg” mates. She probably has 2-3 tail feathers, while her sisters look fully developed and jump on the perch I put in the cage. I take Hope out of the cage each night and put her on a perch (see photo) I made with the idea she will learn to work around her disability. If someone else can chime in with ideas on how to help our special needs chicks plz help. Any recommendations on how to introduce this girl to the rest of my flock that is now 7 weeks old? They are now out at the coop. Thx!