splay legged chick help needed

[thereseiam]

I have a little 'packing peanut' that I have no idea what he/she is, who is splay legged. I put that term in the search engine, and found the pictures with the band aide to make a splint, and did that.

My little chick now is spending most of his time pitched forward on his face, his legs kicking out behind. Each time I set him/her up, it pitches forward again after perching for a few seconds on the newly together feet.

What do I do? My chicks are in a huge (100 gallon) tank lined with newspaper and filled with pine shavings. None of the other chicks are having any issues getting around, and I have never had a chick with this disorder. I didn't notice the splay legged condition at first, but I don't know if he/she came that way or not.

Is there some sort of temporary housing I can put this little critter in until the legs are working again, or should I humanely euthanize the little guy? And just how do I humanely euthanize a chick should it come to that?

Also, any thoughts on what a banty sized chick with racing stripes might be? I ordered a bunch of Polish Crested from Estes Hatchery, and this little one, another one of the same breed, and a Muscovy duck came along with. I was very jazzed about the duck, and these two little racing stripe fuzzballs are welcome to stay, whatever they are--I just need to get the one up and walking again.

I am dipping his/her beak several times a day to make sure it doesn't dehydrate--is there anything else I should be doing? I have meat bird feed if the higher protein would help, and layer feed if the lower protein would help. Right now everyone is on medicated chick feed (18%) as they are all one week old. (And yes, I know that ducks can't have medicated feed, that one is out in the barn under lights with some other baby ducks I have.)

Thanks!

Therese

 

[SarahIrl]

Mine is the same, I hobbled it tonight. I have checked a few times since, and it is getting around after a fashion. The others are curious about the hobble so I'll check again in the morning. My other option is to cull, and I've done that once already this week with a badly splayed chick. Both legs were out at 90 degrees in the end. One foot went stone cold and it had to go. Poor thing, it broke my heart.

 

[lemurchaser]

I would fence it off at one end of the brooder with food, water and heat, and it will flop around for a while. By isolating it the other chicks can't pick on it while its laying on the floor. The way I've done it (especially when the chicks are really fighting it is I take a 1" piece of electrical tape, cut in half lengthwise, put a tiny piece of tissue in the middle (you don't want it to stick to the legs), and make a cuff with tabs around the chicks legs. Then I put another tiny piece of tape on to hold the tabs together. This way I can take the middle tape off and give them breaks (like an hour a couple times a day) from the hobbles, but leave the cuffs on.

I'd give him at least 24-48 hours with the hobbles on before culling. His muscles and tendons are completely stretched out and it takes time for that to right itself.

 

[SarahIrl]

I hobbled mine at night, and it's a fine feisty chick so not worried about the others. The runty one I ave is looking a bit sorry for itself but it's not too far behind the others so I'm just keepng an eye on that one. Hope fully my current eggs in the bator will do better.

 

[fratermus]

Have read here where people sat them in a "donut" with legs in the hole until they could stand on their own, splinted.

 

[SarahIrl]

Can't keep mine in anything!! I used pipe cleaners, and it's nice and soft on her legs. Will put on new ones during the week as she's growing like mad.