Peachick with sore hock joint

[colleensstuff]

Last Friday my peachick hatched and seemed fine, he wasn't standing yet, just resting in the brooder. On Saturday I noticed it's hock joint was red and swollen and it wouldn't stand at all and wouldn't straighten the leg with the sore hock. I cleaned and put tea tree oil on the sore area and wrapped it with the pad portion of a bandaid to protect it from being rubbed when he flopped around the brooder since he couldn't stand. Could he have been born with an infected joint or would it be from scraping it on the wire bottom of the incubator? Another chick hatched on Saturday and that one is perfectly fine. Both eggs were clean on the outside. Both chicks are eating and drinking and the sore joint has a scab on it now, but he still won't straighten the leg at all. He can stand on one foot now, but holds the sore leg up against his body. Last year I had a red golden pheasant chick that had a sore leg like this and it wouldn't eat or do anything and it died. That's why I wondered if they can already have an infected joint when they hatch. Has anyone else had this happen? I've hatched lots of chickens and never had this problem.

 

[melissa508]

If its what i think it is, it seems to run in peafowl from what ive seen. Im thinking its a slipped tendon?? if thats the correct terminology. Ive never seen a peachick recover from it. The last time I had that problem, i brought the chick to some University Atlanta..a 7 hr drive from where i was living..they wanted $3,000 for corrective surgery becuase to repair it, becuase they had to go into the body to get to the part that needed "fixing".

Hopefully someone else will chime in with some more info..sorry about your chick

 

[Hoosiermomma]

If his chick does have a slipped tendon can it lead a fairly normal life anyway? Animals do have a way of adapting to their disabilities etc.

 

[colleensstuff]

I'll look at the leg again and see if I can feel the tendon move. If it is a slipped tendon I'll try slipping it back in place and wrapping with vet wrap like others have tried with success. Thanks for the replies.

 

[Phage]

Hi,
I had that with one of my peafowl chicks. I straightened out the leg and wrapped the joint and most of the leg in paper (surgical) tape. Then put the chick in a hobble splint for 2 days. After a further 2 days gradually removed the tape and to my amazement it is now 100% cured. It was a painful time to watch it trying to get about in the various splints, but was worth it in the end.