re-post: please help, my chick's splayed legs not seeming to get any better

[madraykin]

hi, i have a baby silkie. shes only a few days old and i just got her yesterday. she was delivered to me with splayed legs, and im a first-time owner, so i wasnt completely sure about what was wrong with her, but wanted to be able to salvage her if i could. so i did some research and decided to go with the band aid method of shackling the legs back into position. its been a day now and it doesnt seem like shes making any progress. i know that sometimes it takes time, but every tutorial on how to treat this reported that their chick was better within about a day. although her legs are positioned properly now, she still can stand upright. they stay tucked against her chest. shes either hobbling around (whilst flapping to propel herself forward) with her body down to the ground (if that makes sense), or shes standing upright, but on her hocks. is this normal for this kind of thing?? is there anything i can do to help promote stretching the legs so that she cant stand upright on her feet and practice walking? i feel like im doing this all wrong and i feel so bad about it. such an easily fixed problem, yet here i am worried she might die due to my inability to fully understand how to treat her. ive been spoon-feeding her her water since she cant get it on her own and shes able to get to her food. i also have to clean poop off of her regularly since shes smearing it with her body when she tries to walk. she is otherwise in good spirits, her legs are her biggest obstacle. im also afraid she will exhaust herself to death with how hard she pushes herself just to get around. any tips, advice, or insight is much appreciated. i just dont want her to be stuck this way and not live happily or healthily. she is a very sweet bird and ive grown very attached to her tending to her all throughout the last couple of days. p.s. she is separated from the rest of the chicks because they all want to peck at her and trample her. not sure how important that info is.

 

[mrchicks]

Hi,

Pictures would help us try to help you.

Some splayed legs can be corrected, some can not. It depends on if they are just weak or if it is from a deformity. I took this one to the vet because it just kept getting worse. He showed me how the leg was growing deformed, and that sadly, I could not fix it.

Do you see where the chicks right leg is rather bent looking under the tape? It was 2 days old at this picture. At two weeks old the leg was very oddly shaped and he/she couldn't hold it under himself/herself at all. We put him to sleep.