Maybe it wasn't spraddle leg? and now a new question...

[wegotchickens]

Yes, she can get around. But it looks a little more painful for her than it did early into this hobble. I haven't changed it because I had such a hard time getting one to even stay in place for 8 hours. It wasn't very dirty at first, though, because I've been trying to keep their area as clean as possible.

I was thinking this morning that I should post a pic of her

She's such a sweetie. I've called her Lacey because she had so many markings compared to the others. But now that they're growing out she's less distinctive. Still a pretty baby, though.
I'll take some pics tonight when I get home from work and get her in a new hobble.

Good luck on getting more millies!

 

[wegotchickens]

Pics, finally!!

Here she is on July 10th:

Here she is yesterday morning. She wasn't very happy at having the old band-aids removed and new ones put on. On the good side, she kicked almost as hard with the bad leg as she did the good one! That's a new development...

 

[Solsken Farm]

She is soooo cute! Gosh, I am praying for this little one.

I can imagine it isn't comfortable for her. How is she getting around?

 

[wegotchickens]

Having feathers on her feet makes hobbling a very painful experience to watch. She falls on her face a lot, since even small patches of grass trip her up. Most of the time she flaps her wings and sort of hops over obstacles.

We have a corner of our yard, sheltered by 2 walls, that DH keeps trimmed pretty low. There's a pile of rocks for Lacey's siblings to fly all over and play on, and a couple of tall weeds that everyone can hide behind. But it's mostly a lot of flat space with small bits of grass that I can scatter some chick start on and she can scratch and peck with the flock without falling so much.

I truly am feeling a bit more encouraged after putting the new hobble on. She fought it hard, and it seems like the toes on the foot are flexing more than they used to.

I'll try and get a pic of her and her BFF Tennessee tonight. He is soooo sweet and really watches over her. He's the sweetest roo, and probably the keeper of my 2 millie roos.

Thanks for the prayers, horsegirl. She is such a sweetie, and the pic doesn't really capture how pretty she's getting!

 

[wegotchickens]

Sunday we moved our chicks to the little tractor coop. It has a layer of sand in it since we're no longer moving it (and I didn't want my little feather-feet getting muddy). I wet it down for a couple of days and packed it good.

Lacey seemed as happy to be there as everyone else. Monday at 6am I checked on her, and she wasn't in the box of shavings with everyone else, but Sunny/Sonny slept with her. She really doesn't like drinking vitamins any more, and has weaned herself off them. I doubt I got a whole drop in her Monday morning!
While I was cuddling her I decided she needed new band-aids applied Mon afternoon or Tues morning, and that it would be the last round of bindings. If it didn't do the trick I guessed I should cull her.

Yesterday afternoon I had a major migraine, so DH fed & watered everyone for me.

Well, power was out this morning (storms) so it was daylight before I got to the tractor. Not only was everyone awake, but Lacey had her band-aid off! And her bum leg is straight under her, not off to the side. But she is still limping.

I put some vitamins in the water dish and left her be. She seemed quite pleased to be free and out of reach. I'll look at her again after work today.

 

[wegotchickens]

New update and question(s):

Lacey's leg is quite straight and now I suspect it was an injury rather than true spraddle leg. She still limps, has a crooked toe on that foot, and the feathers are growing in wrong. They are growing in towards the other foot rather than outwards the way they are supposed to.

When I try to lay these feathers in the correct direction she yelps like it hurts (and I am trying to be gentle). They are already big enough to cause her to trip, and yesterday she stepped on them and them was 'stuck' for a few moments until she moved the good foot off the feathers of the bad one.

These are new feathers, so they'd bleed if I trimmed them, right?
And if it hurts her to have me bend them, then it's hurting her when she trips / steps on them?

Does anyone have a suggestion for repair?
I really really don't want to euthanize Lacey if there's any chance at a quality of life. But if she can't walk without pain, then she can't scratch, run, and be a happy chicker. And that's not fair.

Her feet feathers are only about an inch long (7 wks old).
Her big sis Georgie has 4" feathers on her feet (12 wks old).
Lacey cannot handle 1" footfeathers, much less 4" footfeathers to trip over!

I'll get some pics this evening.

 

[pips&peeps]

I just wanted to chime in and let you know that millies tend to have genetic defects in the hocks. This could be what you are seeing in your birdie.

If she improves but does not get over this problem I would not use her for breeding.

 

[wegotchickens]

pips&peeps :

I just wanted to chime in and let you know that millies tend to have genetic defects in the hocks. This could be what you are seeing in your birdie.

If she improves but does not get over this problem I would not use her for breeding.

Really? I never read about hock defects and I thought I'd read a lot. What a bummer. Poor baby...​