Red Legged Partridge - Poorly Leg..help?!

[aibbam]

So i've got 7 2week old red legged partridge chicks. Last week i noticed one of the chicks was hopping and hobbling about. When i had a look at it one of it's legs and foot was completely swollen, maybe about 3x the size of it's other leg. I noticed it also had a weird indent in it's 'ankle' as if it had something cutting into it's leg-although it didn't (Pictures below).

Looked about online but there's not really that much info on partridge so looked up chicken infections, couldn't find anything that looked like what this chick has. So since then i've just been bathing the chick's leg in salty warm water every day, once or twice a day, and putting on some antiseptic cream. Since i've been doing that it hasn't got any worse, but hasn't got any better either.

I tried separating the chick from the others but it was jumping about and flapping around and just stressing it out even more being away from the others and thought it'd end up doing itself more harm smashing into the side repeatedly then just leaving it with it's siblings.

Anyway, so today i've just noticed another chick was standing with it's leg drawn up to itself. I've had a look and it looks like it has the early stages of what the other chick has. It's ever so slightly swollen compared to it's other leg and you can see the weird indented line around it's 'ankle'.

The chicks get cleaned out twice a week, are being fed on correct partridge feed for their age and clean water, also they don't at the moment have any perches or anything to fall off of.

So, has anyone got any idea what this is and what i can do about it as it looks like it might be contagious.

Chick that has the problem:








Chick that has early signs:

 

[aibbam]

Anyone have any ideas? I really want to help them but obviously can't if i don't know what the problem is.
TIA

 

[BYC-user-174785]

I have no idea what this is. Perhaps you could try posting in the emergencies part of the forum? You should be able to get input there.

 

[aibbam]

Hi, Thanks for your reply.

After posting this i saw that there was an emergency section so posted it there too. I think i found out what the problem is but the only way to sort it out is antibiotics. I spoke to my local farm vet today and he said overall it'll cost me around £50 ($80) if i take the chicks to be looked at by them and for the antibiotics....he said best thing to do is just knock them on the head and carry on looking after the healthy ones

Sooo i've just got in from work today and as i can't get them antibiotics, i've given them some bits and bobs added into their food and water that will hopefully help (garlic, clove and oregano for antibiotic/antiseptic properties and turmeric, black pepper&coconut oil paste into their water as an anti-inflammatory).

Fingers crossed it helps!!

 

[BYC-user-174785]

Hopefully they get better. Keep us updated.