Silkie chick with non-functioning leg

[tuna2dope]

Hello everyone! My aunt hatched some Silkie chicks for me a few days ago, and one of them has a leg that seems to have a malformed joint. It can move its leg at the hip, but can't extend the leg fully and has trouble getting around. So far I've been holding it while it drinks to make sure it's hydrated, and feed it out of my hand occasionally. Other than the leg, it seems to be doing well, and can move around the brooder well enough, but I can't help but worry. Does anyone have any advice on how to make sure its quality of life is good and keep it happy and healthy? I've got some pictures, too- I'll attach them here. Any advice helps!

 

[Debbie292d]

Hello everyone! My aunt hatched some Silkie chicks for me a few days ago, and one of them has a leg that seems to have a malformed joint. It can move its leg at the hip, but can't extend the leg fully and has trouble getting around. So far I've been holding it while it drinks to make sure it's hydrated, and feed it out of my hand occasionally. Other than the leg, it seems to be doing well, and can move around the brooder well enough, but I can't help but worry. Does anyone have any advice on how to make sure its quality of life is good and keep it happy and healthy? I've got some pictures, too- I'll attach them here. Any advice helps!

It could be it got injured ie disjointed or slipped tendon during hatch and/or may be a sort of splayed leg. See if you can tell if it's out of joint and if you can gently put it back in. If you can straighten it, this is for splayed legs: Bring the two legs together to be straight underneath the chick like the other chicks look. I've had it once and used vet wrap I cut into about a 1/4" strip, wrapped one ankle (not tight) then over to the other ankle. This keeps them together and took 3 days to cure. Some use bandaids to do the same thing. Change either daily and give the chick a couple of minutes to run around without it to use those muscles.

If that's not going to work, this article about a slipped tendon may help you.

Silkies are prone to vitamin deficiencies and whilst giving them some vitamins in their water like Poultry Cell won't just fix this, it'll help support their neurological and physical needs. For silkie chicks, I give this twice a week for a couple of weeks and water the other days. After that, once a week and eventually a couple times a month. For this particular chick, I'd also give it a B-complex vitamin. If it's one of your vitamins, just smash it and give it a small pinch as adult birds get 1/4 of one.