Silkie chick won’t use one leg

[chubbchubb7]

I have one silkie chick (none of the others hatched, tried a dry hatch). I’m not sure what happened but since I took it out of the incubator it refuses to use one leg. I have hobbled it twice (once looser and now closer) with no luck. Any other ideas? I hate keeping it alone but I’m afraid it will get trampled and it’s otherwise a healthy little thing

 

[yickenscarf23]

Is the leg turned outwards? A pic would really help people here get an idea of what your dealing with.

 

[chubbchubb7]

This is how he sits and walks no matter how I hobble him he does this

 

[yickenscarf23]

This is how he sits and walks no matter how I hobble him he does this

That's the strangest thing. Are the legs visibly the same? Like can you see any deformities?

I think leg problems can be caused by a riboflavin deficiency if there is any way you could get some? I had to get some for my baby yesterday and it's labeled vitamin b2 and I broke open the capsule and sprinkled a bit in her water bowl.

 

[chubbchubb7]

I can give him poly-vi-sol which I think has it in it. I’ll try that. When I hold him on his back in my hand they look the same. All I can think is maybe the hip is out?
I agree because I have never seen anything like this. That’s why I posted lol

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

I had a chick hatch fairly recently that held its leg out to the side, with the leg slightly rotated outward. The chick would only briefly touch the foot down, mostly hopping on the other foot.

First, I tried splay leg treatment, but it didn't resolve the issue. Next, I approached it as a potential slipped tendon/valgus issue, even though I couldn't feel that the tendon was out place. After wrapping the leg with Vetrap snugly above the hock and below it, the chick began putting weight on the leg, and finally (after a few days) was using it almost normally. After a week, the brace was ready to come off, and now the chick uses the "bad" leg normally.

The vitamin supplement is a good idea to rule out deficiency. Best of luck!

 

[chubbchubb7]

I had a chick hatch fairly recently that held its leg out to the side, with the leg slightly rotated outward. The chick would only briefly touch the foot down, mostly hopping on the other foot.

First, I tried splay leg treatment, but it didn't resolve the issue. Next, I approached it as a potential slipped tendon/valgus issue, even though I couldn't feel that the tendon was out place. After wrapping the leg with Vetrap snugly above the hock and below it, the chick began putting weight on the leg, and finally (after a few days) was using it almost normally. After a week, the brace was ready to come off, and now the chick uses the "bad" leg normally.

The vitamin supplement is a good idea to rule out deficiency. Best of luck!

So all you did was wrap the leg? Right?

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

So all you did was wrap the leg? Right?

Right - the hobble that I tried initially didn't make a difference.

 

[chubbchubb7]

Ok so I taped it but I can’t seem to get it to sit straight and under it. He actually seems worse now. Is that normal? I also used part of a toilet paper roll to make it sit up and balance for a while. It’s like the whole leg turns out

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Hmm...my chick seemed to be able to use the leg better right after the "brace" was applied. When wrapping, can you gently turn it in so that it moves more normally (straight)? You could also try hobbling again, with the idea that the "good" leg helps train the "bad" one to work better, mechanically.