Splayed leg help please

[HollyInColorado]

Hello All,

I had a bantam chick hatch yesterday and it has splayed, spradeled legs. I have read the posts on this site about hobbling with a band aid, but it is not working, as he/she is so small. "He" falls over with the hobble and then can't get up and gives up. I am afraid if I leave the hobbles on him, he will not eat and die. Or, the other chicks might peck him and kill him. Are there any other suggestions? I have paper towels in the brooder and the traction is good. Will he survive with splayed legs like this?

Thanks in advance,
Holly

 

[rachelm10]

My chick is REALLY bad. It started at 1 day old. I used the bandaid method posted here, and it got better (it did take a good day or two to get used to). Then at two weeks (I guess it gained a lot of weight) it happened again. Now the leg is totally twisted. I'm about to put in a post of my own with pictures. Other than a very screwed up leg, my chick eats, drinks and poops fine. The only benefit that I have is that he is alone and can't get pecked.
I'd keep trying to hobble him and let him figure out how to get around. It will take a while.
Good luck!
Rachel

 

[chickenshadow]

It's a sad reality but one 1 of 3 splayed will survive. Usually there is more
wrong with the chick than just a splay. Sometimes a bandaid for 2 days solves
the problem. Other times it takes more time or repeated treatments.

Nutrition is KEY!!!

Put some vitamins in the water of Polyvisol (a kids vitamin you can get at any
pharmacy). Hand feed yogurt with chick food mixed in and do it once an hour or
as much as possible. Give lots of water. Just dip the tip of the beak in, not the
whole thing.


Best of luck.

 

[Shaun Hagan]

You might make him a small "isolation ward" in the brooder with food and water very close at hand. Then try the hobble again. He won't get trampled and will be able to struggle to food even if he falls over.

 

[chickenshadow]

I will usually put a few healthy chicks in with the splayed chicks. It seems
to motivate the splays to eat on their own and keeps them moving a little.

We find a splayed chick alone will not move at all, thereby not developing any
strength.

This all depends the the condition of the chicks. Some splays hop around and
eat like crazy. Others just lay there.

If a splay does not show improvement in 3 days I euthanize it. I'm not
recommending that but stating it is my way.

 

[HollyInColorado]

Thank you all very much. I have gotten some great ideas from you all. When I hold him, he puts weight on that bad leg and then I carry him around for a while and he seems to be stronger when I put him back in with his two buddies. He walked about four steps, stopped, walked a few more and then took a rest. I will try your suggestions and keep giving him periodic workouts and see how he does.

I have been DYING for a bantam naked neck for over a year and he was the only one to hatch out of 26 eggs. My heart would be totally broken if he didn't make it.

 

[HollyInColorado]

I wanted to update all of you who offered suggestions and give hope to those of you with splayed-legged chicks.

My chick didn't get better with the bandaid hobbles and actually got a lot worse. He was completely flat on the ground and couldn't get either leg up under him. My ex-husband is a veterinarian, and he came over and I asked him to euthanize the chick. He refused and said we could fix him. So he made hobbles with veterinary tape and I left them on for one week. Last night I took off the hobbles and my chick is walking normally, no sign of a limp or a misstep. It is a thing of beauty! The hobbles stayed on for a week and I had to look away when he fell and struggled because he had to get strong enough to get up and do it himself.

Thanks for all of the advice and helpful hints!

 

[crazy chook]

How did you hobble it's legs. I am having real trouble with my 12 day old chick, she is just getting worse and I am just feeling sick with worry. I put a band-aid splint on but she just kept falling over and cheeping, then it fell off. I just don't know what to do and am so sad and frustrated. This little one was the only one that hatched from 28 eggs and my 4yrold son loves her. He talks to her all the time. She is in the brooder on the kitchen table with one other chick from the hatchery. there is pine shavings on the ground with paper towel on top. She can eat and drink but is getting worse and wont be able to for long.

Please help...

 

[crazy chook]

She can still walk and get around but I am worried it is getting worse. I am finding it hard to splint her legs, she has one infront and one behind and I don't want to hurt her trying to get them together. I have attached a photo of her sitting/standing with her little mate (a 6 week old runt black Australorp x New Hampshire). One leg is under her and the other directly out front. She does use both legs to walk and when she wants to go fast she flaps her little wings and rockets off across to the other side of the brooder. I have taken them outside a few times just when its not too cold and they love it. If I cant get the splint to work will she be ok using her wings to help walk? Would she be in any pain?