Please help!!!

[Noelia1003]

Someone please help! My baby chickens feet are bubbled up as if she's retaining fluid or something and I'm really worried. It is purple in that area as well. She's eating and drinking water and tries to walk but I'm just worried. Please anyone help!!

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Oh poor chick. I’ll tag some people who can hopefully help. @lazy gardener @Folly's place @aart @azygous @Ravynscroft can you guys help please?

 

[azygous]

It appears to be fluid from a systemic infection. How old is this chick? Do you see any swelling of the leg joints? How about cuts or bruising or scabs? Look at the bottom of the feet, too.

Pain is probably involved so a quarter of a baby aspirin twice a day can help.

You need to soak the legs and feet in very warm water with Betadine and Epsom salt twice a day. If the condition worsens or doesn't improve after three days, you will probably need to administer a round of an antibiotic such as amoxicillin.

There's a chance this is being caused by an infectious virus. The antibiotic may not help except for secondary infection.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Should the chick be separated from any other chicks?

 

[azygous]

Absolutely separate the chick so its feet don't get pecked and injured further. Very soft bedding to cushion the feet. This is likely very painful.

 

[Folly's place]

I'd keep them together unless she's being harassed; solitary chicks are more stressed, and whatever's happened, is already there.
Mary

 

[Folly's place]

Is there a problem with wet bedding? Was this chick shipped in, or out of your incubator? Any other issues with anyone?
Mary

 

[Folly's place]

Breathing problems? Is she retaining fluid elsewhere?
All the best, Mary

 

[azygous]

How is your brooder set up? If it's large enough to partition a part of it with window screening or plastic deer netting, you can segregate the chick while still allowing all the chicks to be together.

I did this years ago when I had a severely injured chick. It was really heart-warming how the injured chick would snuggle up to the screened partition and the other chicks snuggled up to the screen on their side so they were all still together to sleep at night.

You do not want curious chicks pecking at the swollen feet. They could injure them and make the problem much worse. If staph hasn't already entered the picture, it could enter a small wound and the consequences could be dire for this chick.

 

[Noelia1003]

It appears to be fluid from a systemic infection. How old is this chick? Do you see any swelling of the leg joints? How about cuts or bruising or scabs? Look at the bottom of the feet, too.

Pain is probably involved so a quarter of a baby aspirin twice a day can help.

You need to soak the legs and feet in very warm water with Betadine and Epsom salt twice a day. If the condition worsens or doesn't improve after three days, you will probably need to administer a round of an antibiotic such as amoxicillin.

There's a chance this is being caused by an infectious virus. The antibiotic may not help except for secondary infection.

The chick is less than a week old. The bottom of her feet looks the same as the top. Her feet look like blisters filled with fluid.