Need advice on my peachick....Help guys!

[JewellFarm]

Ok guys I need your info here. I have a 6-7 week old peachick that two days ago starting limping. It seems to be its right foot. I have looked at it and can see nothing visibly wrong with it. It does struggle when I lightly press on the pad of its foot. I have three in a cage with 1/4 wire bottom. They are still inside and have never touched the ground. Basically now it just lies around and does not move unless it has to. I am at a loss since I see nothing visible but it is definitely in pain. Any ideas as to what I should do? I'm not sure if this could be the beginning of bumblefoot or what. I appreciate any help or info you can give me.

 

[JewellFarm]

It now has rusty brown poo. I need suggestions here guys. I am hoping you experts can help me figure out whats wrong.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

I'm thinking it doesn't like the wire of has gotten a toe caught, or twisted the leg maybe. I would take it off the wire and put it in a brooder with pine shavings or better yet sand. We brood all our birds on sand once they get past the pine shavings stage.

Steve in NC

 

[deerman]

Place something on the wire, so it can get off it for a rest. To high a protien feed could cause leg trouble.talking over 28%. Think you have done the right thing having them on wire. At that age mine are on 1/2in size. it may have got it caught in the smaller size.

Seen leg trouble when people feed their peachicks on egg yolk to long, dont want to high protein, 24% to 28% the higher for first 4 weeks.

 

[JewellFarm]

Thanks for your suggestions guys. They are on 28% game bird food. I too had thought about growth issues due to high protein, but not sure if the 28% alone would cause that. That is the only thing they get. I had considered mixing 20% starter and the 28% game bird starter half and half, just in case that could be the issue. I didn't give egg yolk past week 1. I looked a little better at his foot outside in better light today and the right foot (what I would call ankle area) looks slightly swollen compared to the left. I took him out of the cage and put him in a box with some pine. It still is not eating as far as I can tell. I will try to keep a very close eye on it tomorrow and make sure it's eating and drinking.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

How is your chick working out?

I just had to put down one of the Emerald Spauldings we hatched out

. It hatched with curled toes so we made the little tape "snow shoes" to get the toes in the right position - that worked great but I noticed later that's knee joints were bowed in. I don't know if it hatched like that or the snow shoes did it. (I wish I would have noticed for future reference) Anyway, one of it's knees gave out. sigh.

Steve in NC

 

[BigByrd24]

I don't think the feed has anything to do with it. I start all of mine from the second they hit the brooder on 30% and have not had no leg problems.. I raise mine just like my Turkey even in the same Brooder and ain't lost one yet..

 

[JewellFarm]

Steve he isn't doing any better. I did go ahead and get them off the wire and onto sand if for nothing else but his comfort. I am at a loss and not sure what to do. He just lies down all the time and seems as if he just cannot stand on the one leg. I really can't see anything visibly wrong. Any ideas or suggestions? I just feel if this was something simple it would be getting a little better by now, instead of worse. Is their something I should look for that might clue me into what is wrong? This is my IBBS pied too, my favorite!!!!

 

[LilbitChicken]

Hello, how sad.

My sympathy goes out to you.
it's always the ones we like the most seem to have the trouble.

I can't ADD to the thread, but I agree with just getting him OFF the wire floor for a rest.

 

[countrybum]

Featherfoot, get him off the sand and off the 28% protein. Get a basic unmedicated chick grower. My friend hatch some peachicks and I hatch them often, 3 more due this week. My friend used the Gamebird and his chicks had problems and started falling over and laying around. I use basic chick starter unmedicated (for chickens) and put them in a straw filled box (plastic storage container) with a heat lamp. The wire is good until they strengthen their legs, but bad for them to continuously walk around on. If they peck and eat to much sand at that age it could cause abstruction and you will have another issue to deal with.

Sorry I did not see this post sooner.

Hope your little one gets better peachicks are fragile compared to chickens and ducks and I know this from experience.