Need help with a decision

[aidensmomma]

I have a week old chick who, until yesterday, was perfectly fine along with her 6 friends. The babies stay in a "shelf brooder" in the house for now and there isn't much to get hurt on, but somehow this little thing hurt her leg. I have no idea what is wrong, other then that it might be swollen. She will not put any weight on it. I see no obvious cuts or abnormalities. She moves around on one leg with the help of her wing with ease and is eating, drinking, and pooping normally. She is not making any noises indicating she is in pain, she isn't shaking, (unless I pick her up to inspect her.) I am unsure as to whether I should just leave her alone or cull. My gut is that she is making it around fine, does not appear to be in pain, and is eating and drinking. Any advice, validation, help, opinion, is welcome. I don't want to prolong the inevitable nor do I want to cull unnecessarily.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would give her some time to get over the injury, since she was doing fine for a week. Watch to see that she is not trampled or picked on by others. She may just have a sprain injury. Slipped tendons or bone deformity usually show up before now. Put the chickens on vitamins in their water which may help her, or just give her alone 2-3 drops daily of PolyVisol without iron baby vitamins.

 

[casportpony]

Might be swollen? Can you get a picture of it?

-Kathy

 

[aidensmomma]

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[aidensmomma]

I looked very closely and compared her legs and they look the same. No swelling, not sure if it was my imagination earlier. She holds it weird and puts almost no weight on it.

 

[aidensmomma]

I would give her some time to get over the injury, since she was doing fine for a week. Watch to see that she is not trampled or picked on by others.  She may just have a sprain injury.  Slipped tendons or bone deformity usually show up before now.  Put the chickens on vitamins in their water which may help her, or just give her alone 2-3 drops daily of PolyVisol without iron baby vitamins.

Thanks I will get some of that tomorrow. I also put apple cider vinegar in their water.

 

[aidensmomma]

here's a shot of her legs this one didn't upload last time

 

[Eggcessive]

Are either of her hocks or elbow joints swollen? Leg bone deformities such as varus/valgus deformity, tibial dyschondroplasia, and others can cause lameness, and worsening as a chick grows. Some of these can cause the hock tendon to be swollen, and eventually rupture. Here are a couple of links to read--in the first link, click on each page to enlarge pictures and text:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1790586/
http://www.agbiosecurity.ca/healthy...e/Valgus Varus Leg Deformities in Poultry.pdf

 

[casportpony]

here's a shot of her legs this one didn't upload last time

That doesn't look good... @DylansMom has some experience treating leg problems in peachicks, hopefully she'll drop in and comment.

-Kathy

 

[DylansMom]

That doesn't look good... @DylansMom has some experience treating leg problems in peachicks, hopefully she'll drop in and comment.

-Kathy

It doesn't look like TT (Tibial Dyschondroplasia), hocks are farther apart than ankles, that's the opposite of what we would see with TT. Also when mine developedTT they were still walking and seemed to have no discomfort in the legs that were rotating, they just compensated by adjusting their gaits, the fact that it seems to have pain/discomfort and favor the leg suggests injury to me. Could the tendon be out (Perosis)? It almost looks like the foot is backwards, anyone else see that? I would say it has to be an injury of some sort, maybe another chick tried flying and landed on this ones leg? I would sling it and give it time to heal, if the tendon is out you need to try to get it back in place ASAP, or you never will. Wish I could tell you more.