(pic, video) 4 week old chick with limping, swelling

[chickenmeg1]

Hi all,

I'm new here and sorry to introduce myself in this way, but I need your help.

I have six baby chicks that are 4 weeks old. They are various breeds, and overall are doing great! My Delaware chick is one of the largest ones, and 1-2 weeks ago she developed a limp on her right leg. I didn't see anything wrong with her leg (i.e., it looked completely normal), so I decided to let it be and see what happened.

Today, it looked like there was some slight redness and swelling, especially around her ankle joint. It looks like there may be a tiny scratch, but I don't see any spots or sores, and she also doesn't seem bothered when I touch her leg. She does put weight on it a little bit, but she definitely limps, and it sort of looks like... crooked or something? Hard to tell.

She is eating and drinking fine. The chicks are mostly in the garage in their brooder, where they have an EcoGlow heater and pine bedding. I have been taking them outside for a bit each day, and when I do, she acts completely normal, pecks around, hops up on stuff, and looks for bugs.

I tried posting in a local FB group, and it's clear that the chickens are disposable animals to them. For me, they are pets and I don't want them to suffer. Can someone help me figure out what to do here?

Thanks!

PS - Sorry for the terrible photos, I tried but it was very hard to use my phone and hold her at the same time.

 

[Rose the Legbar]

@Wyorp Rock !

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Welcome To BYC

Can you get photos of her standing on her own?
A video of how she moves may be helpful as well. Upload video to youtube and provide a link.

 

[chickenmeg1]

@Wyorp Rock Thank you for the welcome, and for your reply!

Here is a video I took (she's a bit noisy chirping in this one because I took her away from her friends)

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Cute chick!

Can you feel of the joint and compare it to the "good one" and see if the tendon is slipped?

I see what you mean about it going crooked, I'd start giving 1/4 tablet B-Complex daily. She's old enough, you should be able to just pop the little piece into her beak and let her swallow it.

There is swelling there, hard to know if it's due to infection or injury. You can try wrapping the leg to give support and stabilize, but it's very important to check wrappings a couple of times a day to make sure they are not too tight and cutting off circulation and are staying on.

 

[chickenmeg1]

Cute chick!

Can you feel of the joint and compare it to the "good one" and see if the tendon is slipped?

I see what you mean about it going crooked, I'd start giving 1/4 tablet B-Complex daily. She's old enough, you should be able to just pop the little piece into her beak and let her swallow it.

There is swelling there, hard to know if it's due to infection or injury. You can try wrapping the leg to give support and stabilize, but it's very important to check wrappings a couple of times a day to make sure they are not too tight and cutting off circulation and are staying on.

Thank you! I am sorry for the delay in responding and appreciate you taking the time to help me with this.

I did feel the joint and other than feeling swollen, it doesn't feel any different to me. That said, this is the first time I am checking for this sort of thing so I may not know what to look for.

I tried giving her 1/4 B complex tablet, but I struggled with that, so I just took a whole capsule and crushed it up over the feed for the entire flock. I figured it couldn't hurt.

I am not comfortable wrapping it as I don't want to make things worse - I am worried I would do it wrong. I will say that while I was handling her, feeling her leg, etc., she did not react at all and did not seem to really be in pain - it's just the limp and crooked hobbling. Could it be some kind of birth defect? She is able to bend and straighten her leg also. If I gently bend and straighten it for her it feels completely normal.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

It could be a leg bone deformity which may get worse at times goes by.

I'd monitor it to make sure the joint is not swelling more, oozing or getting infected.