Please HELP. I think I messed up 🥺

[penelope_james]

I don’t know what to do here!!! i Think I may have intervened too soon and injured my chick. She was shrink wrapped, I acted before actually knowing how to help. It’s been nearly 24 hours now and she/he is limping around, she seems to have issues with the left leg. I am not sure if it just needs more time to get use to these new legs or if I need to take other measures??? I am brand new to the chicken life. It breaks my heart to think that I am the cause of this… Please Help! Thank you

 

[coach723]

Don't beat yourself up, things happen. If she is sitting on hocks it may be a riboflavin deficiency. I would give her 1/4 of a B vitamin complex tablet daily (human ones, regular not time release) regardless of cause. You can just put in in the beak, or grind and mix with a bit of moistened feed if it will eat it that way. Other possibilities are splay leg or a slipped Achilles tendon in the hock. There is good information here on both, scroll down:
https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry
If you don't think any of those apply, let us know. Make sure it's eating and drinking well, and watch for pasty butt, especially if it's having trouble moving in and out of the heat source.

 

[penelope_james]

Don't beat yourself up, things happen. If she is sitting on hocks it may be a riboflavin deficiency. I would give her 1/4 of a B vitamin complex tablet daily (human ones, regular not time release) regardless of cause. You can just put in in the beak, or grind and mix with a bit of moistened feed if it will eat it that way. Other possibilities are splay leg or a slipped Achilles tendon in the hock. There is good information here on both, scroll down:
https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry
If you don't think any of those apply, let us know. Make sure it's eating and drinking well, and watch for pasty butt, especially if it's having trouble moving in and out of the heat source.

Thank you for the helpful information. I think she may have splayed leg

 

[coach723]

You're welcome. If that's the case then the hobbles will likely help. The vitamins are still a good idea. Good chance it will recover fully.