Still need help with week-old chick - leg problem?

[possumhunter]

This is the little guy that I had to help from my "disaster hatch". I put a bandaid on his legs about 3 days ago to treat for spraddle leg, but now I'm not sure that is the problem. He is standing now, which is an improvement, but doesn't bear any weight on the gimpy leg unless he tries to walk. Could it possibly be broken? It looks sort of like it is rotated outward. I've included a couple of lousy pictures if that helps at all. He was completely zipped for 24 hours when I decided to gently pull apart the egg shell. It came apart very easily, so I really don't think that I did anything to hurt it while I was pulling apart the egg, but who knows. I would really appreciate any advice! I feel so bad for this little guy, he's just been off to such a rough start.

You can sort of see in this picture how he isn't putting any weight on that foot.

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

Oh , the poor little one. Hopefully someone will be able to give you some advice. Just trying to give a little bump for you.

 

[newwithchickens]

ive heard that moving the foot to the proper position and taping it to stay in place can help kinda new with chickens myself but might be something to consider good luck with your little one

 

[countrychix]

I have a 3 week old cornish cross with the same problem. Some of the chicks were handled quite roughly at the store and I noticed the problem immediately upon getting him out of the box at home. He was 1 week old at the time and he has been getting progressively worse, his foot is now involved. We're going to give him another week and if we don't see improvement we're going to cull him.

 

[chicknfishn]

I have the same problem with 2 little partridge silkie chicks that were born yesterday. They hatched that way, but with the same problem in different legs. At first I thought that it was spraddle leg and treated as you did but now looking at them I think that it is something different. The leg goes out at a weird angle and they are not putting any weight on it at all. In fact they are learning to hop on one leg. Not sure myself what to do. Anyone out there ideas? PLease? I have tried the Achilles Stretch but don't know if that is the problem. These 2 babies are very healthy and active otherwise.

 

[chicknfishn]

Possum hunter how is your chick doing?

On my 2 little ones I have changed their bandages and one is sometimes now putting weight on its leg.

The other one keeps its leg stuck out in an odd way. So this one I used a Q Tip that I cut smaller and used it like a splint to make the leg stretch out. It seems to like it when its leg is stretched out. Both are still very spunky and eating and drinking, however not growing as fast as the others. But this is to be expected because they are not constantly eating like the others.

Keep your fingers crossed that it keeps working.