please - need some advice - 2 day old chick can't stand or walk!

animalassistedtherapy08

In the Brooder
11 Years
Dec 1, 2008
14
0
22
NW Virginia
18 out of 20 (mixed home raised) chicks hatched. 17 out of the 18 are healthy and fine.

One chick I thought had splayed leg problems - so I braced/hobbled according to pic by pic directions- 2 days ago.
Still no change.

Hydrating with sugar water several times per day. (just to be certain, as I haven't witnessed drinking or eating)

This chick tries to get up and ends up rolling over - or sitting on it's bum.

Somehow manages to scoot/move over to heat or other areas...(when I am not watching of course)

Vibrantly loud peeping protests when I check on the band-aid brace... and complains if I move him/her in the brooder.

Other's bothered it a little until I took a suggestion from this forum for "toys".... I put a view pieces of mixed grass hay in there so now they seem to mess with that instead.

The feet are fine - work, bend and flex fine. No curling. Problem seems to be higher up. 2 days ago when I first braced him/her with the bandaid, one hock was red and swollen. Now it appears to be the same size as the other one, but still a bit too red.

Seems as if I could bring the hocks closer together they could get up.....

Any suggestions?
Thank you!!
 
I hope this doesn't sound cold or cruel, but I would probably cull the poor thing. Even if it somehow pulls through it could pass on genetic problems to any offspring it has...

That and it's probably suffering...
sad.png
 
Sometimes the bandaid braces can take a few days. MY Midge finally got hers off after more than a week. Dip the baby's beak in the food and water until he can navigate on his own. Feed him some hardboiled egg yolk along with his regular food. Also, a few drops of polyvisol (without iron) dribbled on his beak every day helps immensely.
 
I have to agree with the great snag.. I had one in my first batch and we tried for 2 weeks with braces etc. Nothing seemed to help. I have read on here a few post that said they had some luck with this but i couldn't stand to see her suffer anymore. It's sad but in the chicken world it's strongest survive. Good Luck and feel good about yourself for trying. At least you gave her every chance.
 
I took some close up digital pics - - only I don't recall how to post them here....


can someone pls tell me how to do this?



I really don't want to put her/him down if I don't have to...
 
Adorable chick, hope it works out for you that he/she will be all right. Maybe it will just take some time for it to get on its feet? I would give it a chance.
 
If Gimley survived having the toes curled on both feet and both legs spraddled all the way out to the side, yours stands an excellent chance. Yes, he did learn to walk in all those orthopedic bandages.
6382_gimley1.jpg


This is Midge. She is a long term orthopedic baby. She had her braces on for quite some time. We took them off, and she still looked like this. The braces went back on, and, after a few more days, her leg is straight.

6382_pa100464.jpg
 
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