Newly hatched chick leg problem

[mother of many]

So I went to bed with an internal pip last night and woke up to a complete zip. Was lucky enough to see the hatchling emerge. Now that she has dried off some and is hobbling around I took her out to see that her leg is very deformed. I dont want to cull her but I dont know how to fix the leg. Her foot pad is facing out and it looks like her leg is turned at the hip.

 

[coleco]

I am sorry to see that you are going through such an obviously frustrating thing like this, I read your post but my knowledge of such defects is limited and therefore i offer a bump for your thread to go back to the top.

 

[mother of many]

Thank you I truly appreciate you taking the time and for the bump. I am at a loss with what to do she seems to be fine otherwise. She is moving around, chirping very loudly and even been encouraging to her little sister. Its the first out of 5 eggs that hasnt needed any help to hatch. My very first set of babies that I have hatched. I dont think there is anything that can be done I will just see how she does. Hopefully she will be okay. I know that sometimes they learn to work with it. I just hope and pray that it isnt causing her any pain.

 

[emmaie892000]

If you could splint it, it might slowly shift in the right direction. Even if she does have a deformity, sometimes they will learn to live around them.

 

[Luvmy9hens]

I just signed on because I have a chick that looks EXACTLY like yours and has a problem with the same leg (her left). The chick just hobbles around but is otherwise fine. The leg does not appear deformed or twisted. The chick does not want to walk on it and hobbles around. Hatch time was last night around 6pm.

 

[seminolewind]

Yea, I think things have a good chance of healing or changing because it's a chick. I would put a flat cardboard "snow shoe" on to keep the foot flat, then splint it.

 

[Luvmy9hens]

I just put a hobble on the chick to keep her legs from splaying. Her legs look normal. There is no evidence of twisting or splaying. She just can not put any pressure on her foot for a long time and limps. She can stand tall and run if she has to. She occasionally nips at the center toe of the bad leg.

 

[emmaie892000]

Sounds like you're treating the right way. Over time the bones and tendons will start to find the correct alignment and stay there.

 

[Luvmy9hens]

Am I being cruel? The poor chick is crying and stumbling while wearing the hobble. Is this normal?
She seems to do better at exercising the "bad leg" when she is loose on the floor on a carpeted surface than on wood shavings. She eats, drinks and poops normally. Lots of energy! How much "free time" is too much for exercise? Her left leg is the one affected. She tends to hold it up close to her body and hop on one foot when the hobble is not on her. The back of her hock where the lower leg meets the scaly area is larger at the joint than on the good side.

 

[emmaie892000]

I don't think you're being cruel. It sounds to me like she's just getting used to walking with it on.