Still having problems with leg

[Georgetownchick]

My six week old chicken is still having problems with her leg today. She can sort of stand and balance but has trouble walking. Her left leg seems to fall out to the side starting at the knee joint. And when I hold her on her back her right leg will be straight but the left one falls over to the side. I can't tell if it is broken. Should I try to splint it back into place and if so how do I do that? Her leg is not paralyzed because she will curl the toes of the bad leg around my finger and I believe she can move the leg, just not very well. She is eating a lot and drinking fine.

 

[RhodeIslandRedFan]

Here is a link with information on leg problems in chickens. If you scroll part of the way down there is information on slipped achilles tendon. Symptoms are joint swelling and flatness at the back of the hock. The bird won't be able to fully straighten its leg by itself. One leg will turn sideways, and may stick straight out to the side. Does this describe what's going on with your chick? Other leg problems and treatments are described here as well. I hope this information will be of some help to you. https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry#chick_crooked_leg

Also, the information in this link points out how important proper nutrition is during development. I know you said she is eating and drinking ok, buy you might consider vitamin supplements for a time to see if there's any improvement. I use Poultry Nutri-Drench that I buy at Tractor Supply. Others use Poly-Visol without iron that you can buy at your local drug store.

Hope this helps.

 

[cowcreekgeek]

. Thanks for any help or insight. I also fed them this http://www.tractorsupply.com/manna-pro-reg-medicated-chick-starter-5-lb--1003043 for about three weeks because the store was out of the other chick feed. The first link, the bag is much bigger for about the same price as the other brand.

Product Description EXPANDED RECALL: DUMOR CHICK STARTER 24%, TRACTOR SUPPLY COMPANY, 200 POWELL PLACE, BRENTWOOD, TN 37027-6812, NET WEIGHT 50 LB (22.67 KG), UPC 7 49394 05739 8, 60X7 , 0046443.
Recall Number V-097-2013
Classification Class I
Code Info Lot Codes: 2MAY30MFI1, 2JUN13NST1A1, 2MAY31STJ1, 2JUN13MFI1, 2JUN14NST1A1, 2MAY31STJ3, 2JUN22MFI1, 2JUN19NST2A1, 2JUN05STJ2, 2JUL11MFI3, 2JUN20NST2A1, 2JUN20STJ1, 2JUL02NST2A1, 2JUN26STJ2, 2JUL16NST2A1, 2JUL03STJ2, 2JUL16STJ2
Product Distributed Qty 4,491 bags
Reason For Recall Land O Lakes Purina LLC is recalling two batches of Pheasants Starter A Medicated feed produced on 6/13/12 and 7/2/12 because there was a formulation error and Vitamin D was omitted. Recall expanded 7-26-12 to include other products due to the lack of added vitamin D.

Hopefully, this isn't the problem, but ... vitamin D is a might important component in feed, most esp. for developing chicks.

Also, what are they on -- the surface of the brooder. That's often the problem, as if their feet can slip? They'll have issues.

 

[seminolewind]

Cowcreek, I'm glad you went into detail about the vitamins. I learned from it too.

I still have to say that it "feels" like Marek's.
It's happened to 2
They are 6 weeks old

Are there any chickens in your neighborhood where a wild bird could have carried it?
Did people live there before you and have chickens?
Did you get used equipment from someone?

Or did I misread something and it's just ONE chick, and the other was born that way?

 

[casportpony]

Cowcreek, I'm glad you went into detail about the vitamins. I learned from it too.

I still have to say that it "feels" like Marek's.
It's happened to 2
They are 6 weeks old

Are there any chickens in your neighborhood where a wild bird could have carried it?
Did people live there before you and have chickens?
Did you get used equipment from someone?

Or did I misread something and it's just ONE chick, and the other was born that way?

X2

This is a cut and paste from one of my other replies. Maybe it will help you.

FWIW, the pathologist that I work with says that Merek's is one of the leading causes of death that they see in chickens at their lab. He also said that it's an old wives tale about it only affecting young ones. I have seen it in very young ones and chickens that are a afew years old.

This link has some good pictures on Merek's: http://partnersah.vet.cornell.edu/avian-atlas/search/disease/502

I also like this one:
Source:http://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource000791_Rep813.pdf

 

[cowcreekgeek]

As to the potential for Marek's? Certainly ... there doesn't need to be any historical events, or potential for entry, as it's sorta like Parvo w/in canines: You walk, hop in the car, go somewhere, hop back in, and it accumulates on your shoes, in the carpet, etc. And, just as you see evidence that birds fly over your car? They fly over pens, too. Biosecurity measures are only effective to a point ... nothing can guarantee things won't find 'em.

But, when it is MDV? There ain't a thing you can do about it, which is why I tend to sorta skip right on past it when indicated. If it's a difficiency, the you wanna correct as quickly as possible, as seein' symptoms often means birds have little time left. If it's Marek's? Culling sooner doesn't stop it's spread.

I would almost certainly cull the deformed chick, once things change one way or the other w/ the one it's keeping company. I know this sounds cruel, but for now? It serves a purpose. Afterwards? It really doesn't ... unless a bird has hopes of bein' a member of the flock, there's no good reason to raise it.

 

[Georgetownchick]

Cowcreek, I'm glad you went into detail about the vitamins. I learned from it too.

I still have to say that it "feels" like Marek's.
It's happened to 2
They are 6 weeks old

Are there any chickens in your neighborhood where a wild bird could have carried it?
Did people live there before you and have chickens?
Did you get used equipment from someone?

Or did I misread something and it's just ONE chick, and the other was born that way?

We have lived here for over seven years and I don't believe the people that lived here before had chickens. There are chickens in the neighborhood but they are pretty far away and my chickens have not yet been outside. I do not have any used equipment from anyone. I have one chick that was born with a skeletal deformity and then two that were having trouble walking but after reading the link about chicken leg problems I believe they have the slipped tendon. So, I am working on that now. Thank you for your insight.

 

[Georgetownchick]

As to the potential for Marek's? Certainly ... there doesn't need to be any historical events, or potential for entry, as it's sorta like Parvo w/in canines: You walk, hop in the car, go somewhere, hop back in, and it accumulates on your shoes, in the carpet, etc. And, just as you see evidence that birds fly over your car? They fly over pens, too. Biosecurity measures are only effective to a point ... nothing can guarantee things won't find 'em.

But, when it is MDV? There ain't a thing you can do about it, which is why I tend to sorta skip right on past it when indicated. If it's a difficiency, the you wanna correct as quickly as possible, as seein' symptoms often means birds have little time left. If it's Marek's? Culling sooner doesn't stop it's spread.

I would almost certainly cull the deformed chick, once things change one way or the other w/ the one it's keeping company. I know this sounds cruel, but for now? It serves a purpose. Afterwards? It really doesn't ... unless a bird has hopes of bein' a member of the flock, there's no good reason to raise it.

After doing more reading I am leaning towards it being a slipped tendon. I have started adding the poly-sol vitamins to everyone's water. I absolutely can not kill my crippled chicken. It is happy and growing, even though it is growing slow. The vet also said it is very healthy except for its deformity. My children play with it and talk to it on a daily basis. The vet said as it grows it will probably learn to live with its deformity and may even be able to live outside in the run with the others. We don't kill people just because they are not perfect.

 

[casportpony]

After doing more reading I am leaning towards it being a slipped tendon. I have started adding the poly-sol vitamins to everyone's water. I absolutely can not kill my crippled chicken. It is happy and growing, even though it is growing slow. The vet also said it is very healthy except for its deformity. My children play with it and talk to it on a daily basis. The vet said as it grows it will probably learn to live with its deformity and may even be able to live outside in the run with the others. We don't kill people just because they are not perfect.

If it's slipped tendon, you would be able to feel to tendon out of the groove and you should be able to push it back into place, but it will probably pop back out.

This I found these interesting:
http://www.peacockemporium.net/Slipped_Tendon_In_Peafowl.html
https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry#chick_crooked_leg
https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry

These I have not read yet:
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/6/diseases-of-poultry/220/slipped-tendon-perosis
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/30/chondrodystrophy-slipped-tendon-or-perosis

Here is a picture of a peachick with slipped tendon at the feed store.

 

[cowcreekgeek]

After doing more reading I am leaning towards it being a slipped tendon. I have started adding the poly-sol vitamins to everyone's water. I absolutely can not kill my crippled chicken. It is happy and growing, even though it is growing slow. The vet also said it is very healthy except for its deformity. My children play with it and talk to it on a daily basis. The vet said as it grows it will probably learn to live with its deformity and may even be able to live outside in the run with the others. We don't kill people just because they are not perfect.

Although it's only the most evil among mankind that culls those that they perceive to be less than the 'ideal' person, we also don't have 'human nuggets' or 'people noodle soup' on any menu I've ever seen ... be prepared to face severe financial and emotional hardships, should you attempt to raise the status of the chicken so high, or to disregard the manner in which they are designed.

A much more reasonable/accurate comparison might be made between flocks of chickens and schools of fish, in that they are each individually fragile and temporary, so as to allow the flock/school to rapidly adjust to their circumstances/environments. They will, should predators fail, eliminate any individual that poses a threat to the survival of the majority, including those that might otherwise "learn to live with [their] deformity" or "may even be able to live" with the flocks/schools they're hard-wired to form ... that's a critical part of what makes 'em happy.

I've two wounded guineas inside, in cages beside one another ... had there been only one? I'da brought another in, just to keep it company, so as to reduce the tremendous stress that isolation causes them (which would almost certainly hinder recovery )-;~

SoOo ... I'm sorry if you found my suggestion cruel, and it's (of course) entirely your own decision to make, but there are times when culling is a kindness, and the most appropriate choice for the well-being of their flock.