Spraddle leg on chick

[IsleofWightGirls]

Well we have only got the three so far, 2 hatched thursday and one hatched friday. They are now out the incubator and in the brooder. Straight away you could see something was wrong with one's leg. Did a search and decided to use the bandaid method and splint it last night.

This morning, after a very long night!, it is actually standing up on it's on but it's having more trouble walking than it did before.

I am feeding it water drops and food (just boiling a egg as we speak for the yolk) so how long shall I nurse it for do you think? Should the band aid stay on for a week or two? will it learn to move about with it on?

it's so sad seeing it struggle

Need some word of encouragement please, never done this before and I don't know if i'm doing the right thing

 

[kittyacid]

Do you have a pic or can you describe what the leg is like?

 

[joy]

Keep the bandaid on for a while longer. Whatever happens to the leg it will still be able to get about. I had a chicken with a leg that was bow shaped, he managed perfectly well. Just give it time to adjust. HE/She will probably end up the softest of the lot with all the attention it gets

It will learn to get about with the band aid on.

 

[IsleofWightGirls]

Thank you

I reluctantly lefthim to go shopping and i've come back to him stood up on his own

fingers crossed he'll get stronger and stronger.

The leg was stuck out behind him, and it feels alot weaker than the normal one, i've been giving him regular massages and snuggles, if he pulls through he's going to be one hell of pampered poland

The foot that is poorly looks slightly smalled, but only a tiny bit and the toe nail on the middle toe isn't anwhere near as long as the other foot, any ideas? the band aid is defo working, his strength is gaining i'm sure.

I'll try and post some pics in a bit, got to put the shopping away if I can drag myself into the kitchen away from my babies lol

 

[IsleofWightGirls]

Got home from family bbq and it's upright and walking around, a little wobbly but it's walking

yay

 

[happychickmom]

Yay!

We had one that hatched with curled toes on both feet. She could only sit on her hocks, and within 24 hours of hatching, the backs of her hocks (elbows) were starting to get raw. We made the little cardboard booties for her that we found on BYC, and within a short time she was walking. After about 3 days, we took the booties off. She is 9 weeks old now and still has one crooked toe, but she runs as well as her 14 hatch mates. And it is a blessing that she turned out to be a pullet after all.

I think I would always try to help if it looks like the chick is healthy, with just bad legs.