Six week chick leg injury?

[biscuit7]

I had a hen hatch 7 chicks about 6 weeks ago. One was significantly smaller than the rest and still is (about half the size now). The night before last I noticed it was limping. I waited to see if it resolved but it hasn't. Today I grabbed it out of the barn stall and checked it over. Looks like one knee joint is quite a bit bigger than the other. It also has 5 toes on each foot. I dont know if that has to do with the injury or if that's just the breed. I looked around at my other hens and didn't notice any that had extra toes. I read about a slipped Achilles tendon and tried to see if it was that but it didn't seem to do anything? Any input? Thanks!

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you post a picture of the chick standing from the front or back? I would get some human super b complex vitamins, and give 1/4-1/2 tablet daily. It can be crushed and give in food or a tsp of water. Slipped tendons usually show up at hatch. They can occur later from an injury. There might be a sprained leg also. Leg bone deformities can affect one or both legs, and those include varus and valgus deformity and twisted tibia. It cab be hard to deside which problem you are seeing. Here is a link that describes a slipped tendon, and scroll down to how to treat it:
https://www.chickenheavenonearth.co...u-can-do-to-help-chicken-heaven-on-earth.html

https://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/leg-health-in-large-broilers

 

[EggSighted4Life]

The night before last I noticed it was limping. I waited to see if it resolved but it hasn't. Today I grabbed it out of the barn stall and checked it over. Looks like one knee joint is quite a bit bigger than the other. It also has 5 toes on each foot. I dont know if that has to do with the injury or if that's just the breed.

Some injuries take quite some time to resolve. Sometimes separation and bed rest are recommended to keep them from furthering the injury. However flock dynamics (like separating a chick from it's dame) make that challenging.. pain and swelling can also work well to limit movement naturally and help prevent further injury. How well is he keeping up with his group? Is he still eating and drinking, not being picked on?

5 toes is totally genetic.. so yes a breed thing not related to the swollen joint or limping.. most often seen in Silkies, Faverolles, Dorking, etc. a link with a short description..

https://www.cacklehatchery.com/5-chicken-breeds-that-have-5-toes/

If there is some Silkie in the mix that might help explain the size difference.

Hope "she" recovers quickly!

 

[biscuit7]

Thank you. I'm hoping she's a she if she recovers. So far she's looking like a she, but I'll be so sad if we have to cull her due to this injury.

I don't think I have any silkies. That makes me want to go out and examine all my hens feet to figure out who the biological mom is.

She is eating and drinking normally and I didn't see any bullying but only check on them twice a day. I moved her into a towel lined dog kennel. I might move that into the barn stall so everyone can see her and know she's still part of the crew.

I'm thinking maybe she injured it trying to jump up to roost where the others have started roosting. Until just recently the mom and babies stayed on the floor, but now they perch in/on a wooden box a few feet off the floor. She stays on the floor underneath by herself.

Any idea how long a sprained leg would take to heal or what I can do to help it along besides just rest? I tried to get some pics of her standing but they didn't turn out great. She is hesitant to put weight on it and when she does it's more splayed out than the other side.

Thanks for all the input I really appreciate it!