Splayed leg? Ankle hyperextends?

[NatureGirl74]

Hello! My peahen, Penny, hatched 5 peachicks on Monday night (I think). They all look very healthy except I think one has a splayed leg. It also seems like the ankle hyperextends. The chick can still move it's toes and they aren't curled. I tried to hobble the legs, but that doesn't seem to be doing much. Is there anything else I can do? Does it look like a hip problem or could it be a slipped tendon? I'd like to get this chick back outside with Penny as soon as possible. Thank you in advance!

 

[Debbie292d]

I don't raise peafowl but I do raise a lot of silkie chicks and with that comes some leg issues. I've had a couple along the way like that.

What we did was massage therapy, working that joint straight. We bind the legs a bit closer together than you normally would, right below the elbow. We'd take the binding off about every 12/24 hours, massage, and reapply a new one.

B-Complex helps this too. Your chick would get about 1/4 of a human pill, or we got the drops and it's 1/4 of their eyedropper.

Usually, splayed legs take just around two to three days to fix. When we had this issue, it was closer to two weeks. It's worth it though as now we have a beautiful buff chicken.

 

[NatureGirl74]

I don't raise peafowl but I do raise a lot of silkie chicks and with that comes some leg issues. I've had a couple along the way like that.

What we did was massage therapy, working that joint straight. We bind the legs a bit closer together than you normally would, right below the elbow. We'd take the binding off about every 12/24 hours, massage, and reapply a new one.

B-Complex helps this too. Your chick would get about 1/4 of a human pill, or we got the drops and it's 1/4 of their eyedropper.

Usually, splayed legs take just around two to three days to fix. When we had this issue, it was closer to two weeks. It's worth it though as now we have a beautiful buff chicken.

Thanks for responding! I like your idea of massage therapy. I tried to slowly bend the leg a few times going a little farther each time. I also massaged the joint in between bending it. After 5-10 minutes the range of motion in the ankle had increased a lot. I didn't realize just how stiff the joint was before.

I re-hobbled the legs. It looks better this time. I mixed up some water and "Sav A Chick" for him/her.

I agree! If there's a chance of saving them, the work is always worth it.

 

[casportpony]

I had that once. Let me find pictures of how I fixed it.

 

[casportpony]

Here they are:

7/31/2019

I ended up splinting something like this:

Source - https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/veterinary-science-and-veterinary-medicine/tarsometatarsus
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780723438328000122

 

[NatureGirl74]

Here they are:

Thanks for the pictures! I was debating whether or not to wrap it that way. If the leg isn't staying straight by tomorrow I will definitely try that. It looks like your chick healed perfectly!

 

[casportpony]

Thanks for the pictures! I was debating whether or not to wrap it that way. If the leg isn't staying straight by tomorrow I will definitely try that. It looks like your chick healed perfectly!

It was better in a couple of days.

 

[Debbie292d]

Thanks for the pictures! I was debating whether or not to wrap it that way. If the leg isn't staying straight by tomorrow I will definitely try that. It looks like your chick healed perfectly!

We did try the tube. It's an old toothpick container. It worked for a day when she was tinier but after that she got stronger (a good thing) and got herself out all the time. We wound up just going back to the usual bindings and massage.

It was her right leg that would fly out randomly like she had no control over it.

 

[KsKingBee]

Kathys instructions will work, time is of the essence when fixing toe, foot, and leg issues. Wrapping in a burrito style will also work.

 

[NatureGirl74]

I have him wrapped up in a cup with his legs hobbled right now. He's been there since yesterday afternoon. Should I leave him until tomorrow or take him out tonight and see if there's any change?