Possible splayed leg chick

[deerhurst]

Tom (derpy) is still getting around. Still not real great at the walking thing. I describe it as a drunk fat man walking. It might not be that bad though. Still not great on uneven ground or slick floors. On slick floors Tom tends to do the splits a little which seems to throw everything off. Still running the drawer liner on the bottom of her apartment.

Found a clear plastic tub and made a wall in the middle so Tom and Bob have an apartment next to Tank and the Sebright we haven't named yet.

I laughed pretty hard yesterday when Tom was on the slick floor just standing in one spot when Tank (Brahma bantam) walked over, put her chest on Toms chest, pushed her about a foot and then turned around and walked back to the food. Tom looked quite confused. Tank is about as tall as she is wide with massive gorilla arm looking wings.

 

[Arrowen]

Ive got a little one that’s older now and lives with my one legged Hen in a separate house along with the hen that adopted her. I used to put her in a small sock with the toe cut out, I’d gently lift the wings out and the sock held her hips together. She was much happier with this than bouncing around, banging into things. She chirped quite happily and ate and drank when I put food in front of her. What fixed her in the end was the right nutrients. Which sadly I can’t find the list of ingredients now, however they were household items that I happened to have. If you look up essential nutrients for hens and then find out what foods they come from that’s all I did.
Good luck.
The photo is of her on the left and a hen that decided to adopt her.

 

[deerhurst]

Got everyone together in one run now (still using the drawer liner for Tom) and starting to try to get them transitioned to the hot plate. Less power used and less light pollution while we are trying to sleep.


Tom was walking (not well) on out slick hardwood floors the other day. Also recovered after a fall on the slick floor. I call that a win!


Still seeing small improvements but nothing as crazy as I really want to see.

 

[deerhurst]

Made up some new accomodations to have them all together.

Tom is naturally completely zonked out next to her stuffed chicken. Tank and the Sebright at their normal location, the food.

Unfortunately they will fit through the mesh so I lined it with paper to keep the monsters for escaping!


Removed the heat lamp and they have their hot plate. They seem to like it. The first night without the heat lamp we were woken up by chicks screaming. They came out from under the hot plate and couldn't see and were lost! Now we have a little night light for them at night.

 

[fldiver97]

I would wean them off the light. They may fuss for a night but should settle fairly quickly in the dark. When raised by mom they have day/night cycles and don’t need to eat or drink at night.
I would still do a little‘physical therapy’ with lil derpy to gently strengthen legs.
Those little puffballs are sure cute!!!!

 

[deerhurst]

I would wean them off the light. They may fuss for a night but should settle fairly quickly in the dark. When raised by mom they have day/night cycles and don’t need to eat or drink at night.
I would still do a little‘physical therapy’ with lil derpy to gently strengthen legs.
Those little puffballs are sure cute!!!!

I'm trying to encourage derpy to get out and about with the others by putting her with everyone again.

Suggestions on things to do for PT?

 

[fldiver97]

Maybe some type of chicken sling or a donut cut out of foam or sponge that would keep derpy upright with legs straight and feet just touching the ground, do that for maybe 15 minutes a couple of times a day
Here’s an old link with some visuals, slings people came up with

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/versions-of-chick-chairs-please.1166308/

See if derpy will grab on to a finger or a branch
Try different surfaces to stand/walk on even if you have to support a little with fingers under belly

Just some ideas to improve leg strength and balance, not sure what would work until you try

 

[deerhurst]

A friend am doughnut would probably be pretty funny. I'll see what I can do!


She climbs up through my hands pretty good. She also likes to jump which is "fun". She needs a bath tonight because she is pretty dirty so we can work on a few things tonight.

 

[deerhurst]

She was perching on the end of my hand a few minutes ago which was pretty cool. More of a perch than standing on the edge of my hand, hunkered down but basically standing on a finger.

Judging my the screaming the bath was basically torture banned by the Geneva Convention and she is now telling me wife about all the horrors while drying.

 

[C Siena]

She was perching on the end of my hand a few minutes ago which was pretty cool. More of a perch than standing on the edge of my hand, hunkered down but basically standing on a finger.

Judging my the screaming the bath was basically torture banned by the Geneva Convention and she is now telling me wife about all the horrors while drying.

I am enjoying reading about Derpy/Tom and the progress. Baby steps. As your wife does, I did PT with one of ours, in my hand and she would stand, almost doing squats.