Silkie Hen Feathers Strangulated Chick Leg - Unsure How to Proceed

[JacinLarkwell]

I've lost babies due to getting wrapped up in Mama's feathers. Not a lot, but I've noticed it's far more common in my cochins than less fluffy birds.

 

[MamaFox78]

Great news! Glad he's improving... hopefully he'll make it through! If he winds up having a twisted foot and/ or lost toes, he'll adapt just fine.

Just to give you some more hope, I had a little one hatch last summer whose toe twisted a couple days after hatch (it may have been a genetic thing because it didn't matter how I splinted it etc). The vet told me to put her down, but I just couldn't see that as an option for an otherwise healthy chick... Lady Cluck ended up living a normal life, even surprising me by roosting on perches with her flock mates. ☺

 

[dublinducks]

Great news! Glad he's improving... hopefully he'll make it through! If he winds up having a twisted foot and/ or lost toes, he'll adapt just fine.

Just to give you some more hope, I had a little one hatch last summer whose toe twisted a couple days after hatch (it may have been a genetic thing because it didn't matter how I splinted it etc). The vet told me to put her down, but I just couldn't see that as an option for an otherwise healthy chick... Lady Cluck ended up living a normal life, even surprising me by roosting on perches with her flock mates. ☺

That makes me feel much better! I’m not one to ‘cull’ because of defects. Obviously I won’t add them to my breeding program, but I don’t see a point in putting down an otherwise happy, healthy bird. As an added bonus I’m sure he’ll be quite tame after all of this because of how much I have to handle him.

I’m going to keep at it and hope for the best! Thank you all for your encouragement!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm glad he's able to stand.

I agree, the leg looks swollen and he may still lose more of the foot/leg. I'd also consider giving an antibiotic as suggested.
Continue with the great care you are giving him!

 

[dublinducks]

Just a little update on this guy:

He is doing loads better. No open wounds, no bleeding, no scabs, no anything. His foot seems to be on its way to falling off, but from the joint up seems completely healthy. So I have hope he’ll just use his wing as a crutch like others have said, or I may try and build him some sort of walker otherwise.

One weird thing he does do is kick the injured leg backwards frequently. I’m chalking it up to him having lost feeling in his leg and getting used to the sensation.

You wouldn’t even know he had anything wrong with him at first glance! He will definitely survive, thank you all again so much for your help

 

[coach723]

Cute little thing! Glad it's doing better. When birds lose a leg, there is some risk of overuse injury in the remaining leg, so just something to be aware of and watch for. Also at a disadvantage in a spat or from predators. Once it's fully grown, or close you might look into prosthetics, there are Etsy sources for having them made, I've seen some for less than $20 and many under $100. So maybe an option down the road, once it's all healed and stable. Or you may be able to make something on your own, if your talents lie in that direction. Good luck, glad it's getting the chance!
This is one source:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1155827200/medium-bird-and-chicken-prosthetic-leg

 

[dublinducks]

Cute little thing! Glad it's doing better. When birds lose a leg, there is some risk of overuse injury in the remaining leg, so just something to be aware of and watch for. Also at a disadvantage in a spat or from predators. Once it's fully grown, or close you might look into prosthetics, there are Etsy sources for having them made, I've seen some for less than $20 and many under $100. So maybe an option down the road, once it's all healed and stable. Or you may be able to make something on your own, if your talents lie in that direction. Good luck, glad it's getting the chance!
This is one source:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1155827200/medium-bird-and-chicken-prosthetic-leg

Thank you so much! That is so incredibly helpful! I will absolutely look into that for him. I wouldn’t mind working that out for him, he has a forever home with us.
He will most likely be penned by himself, unless we (hopefully don’t) end up with some additional disabled chicks. I feel bad but he’ll be near the other birds and won’t have the risk of getting picked on, plus we coop everyone up at night so he won’t get eaten.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm glad to see he's doing well!

He is a cutie pie!

I was thinking the same thing as Coach, seeing about a prosthetic. Sometimes they work and other times the bird does better with just keeping the foot/leg wrapped or padded. See how it goes. He's got a lot of growing to do, so it's going to be a process for him.

Keep us posted on how he's getting along.

 

[dublinducks]

So… his foot is actively in the process of falling off. It was bleeding a little today after weeks of no blood so I checked on him, and this is what I saw.

Should I just let this fall off on its own? It seems to still sort of be attached, but I’m worried it’s going to catch on something and get ripped off and damage it. Didn’t realize that it was progressing so quickly! I gave him a saline soak earlier today and had no idea. Expedient suggestions are appreciated!

EDIT: the goop is antibiotic ointment I put it on before I took the picture.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Yes, you should let it fall off on it's own.