Two Broken Legs Help!

[Aristippus]

I did a foolish, impulsive thing yesterday and agreed to take a newly hatched chicken who had a bad fall and ended up with, at the time, the person thought one broken leg. I had it checked over by the emergency vet late last night, and it turns out both the poor things legs are broken - not to mention one had been pecked to ribbons by his (her?) nestmates.

The ruined one has been bandaged up, he's on antibiotics and the vet gave me some chicken painkillers to add to his water. Can't remember the name of them off the top of my head.. The little thing is eating and drinking okay from a dropper, mostly mixed egg yolk and sugar-water.

My question is, how often and how much am I supposed to be feeding it? Right now I've got a medicine dropper that will hold 10ml, and I give him either sugar-water, egg-yolk water, or a mix of both whenever he kicks up a fuss, but he hasn't really gone through more than 5ml today,and barely that yesterday.

Am I overfeeding? Underfeeding? Are some of these noises just regular agitation and pain? Is there anything else I should be giving him right now? I'm going to pick up some Nutri-drench today, and I have heaps of chick starter for my actual business - raising ducks. The little chickie just can't raise himself up to eat properly on his own right now. Unfortunately the vet said he may never have the use of his feet back either, so I'm encouraging him to find his balance other ways.

I've just gotten lucky, I suppose and none of my ducks have ever really needed special care.

 

[sylviethecochin]

 

[Aristippus]

Oh my god... that is the cutest, saddest, most useful thing! Thank you so much, I am sure it'll make him much happier to be able to sit up and feed himself. He keeps trying, but just ends up facefirst in the feed.

 

[sylviethecochin]

Also, have you considered any sort of physical therapy (once he's healed up enough)? I've had pretty good success using it with my birds.

Also, https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry I'd read everything.

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

I would euthanize it.

 

[Aristippus]

I have! I figured first few days were a time for rest and sugary snacks though. I've had great success in my life working with both humans and horses in physical therapy, so I know how invaluable it can be even for an animal.

Thank you, Shamo Hybrid, I did consider it, but the vet let me know he was perfectly healthy otherwise and he has shown no more than the regular amount of stress for a broken leg. If he were lethargic, not eating or drinking, or showing signs of extreme stress, I certainly would have let the vet euthanize him. I'm no stranger to the necessity, several ducklings haven't made it in my life. This guy's happy enough, just injured. If it turns out he never walks right, well, I guess I have an indoor pet chicken and that's okay.

 

[aart]

Where are the legs broken?
Did the vet xray the legs.....and offer splinting advice?

 

[Aristippus]

Yes, he was x-rayd and they're both broken right above the ankle - it looks like someone might have stepped on or shut the poor thing in a lid or something. Even with the breaks, he's determined to go everywhere.

She didn't have much to say on splinting, she was honest and told me that every other person who'd come in with poultry with such a severe injury at this age had opted for euthanasia (which I understand, she's a farm vet after all), but did say I may be able to stretch out his toes and keep his leg straight for the next few days with a q-tip, cotton ball part under his feet. All his flailing keeps making one or the other fall off though, so if there are any other suggestions I'm all ears.

 

[Chickassan]

I'm thinking your're saying the q'tip is bent like this "L" for use correct? Straight part running up the outside of the leg?
To keep it stable and on, use surgical tape or a small bandaid to wrap it to the leg.
You'll need to make a chick chair like @sylviethecochin showed to keep him off the breaks.
Poor thing.

Yes, he was x-rayd and they're both broken right above the ankle - it looks like someone might have stepped on or shut the poor thing in a lid or something. Even with the breaks, he's determined to go everywhere.

She didn't have much to say on splinting, she was honest and told me that every other person who'd come in with poultry with such a severe injury at this age had opted for euthanasia (which I understand, she's a farm vet after all), but did say I may be able to stretch out his toes and keep his leg straight for the next few days with a q-tip, cotton ball part under his feet. All his flailing keeps making one or the other fall off though, so if there are any other suggestions I'm all ears.

 

[Aristippus]

Correct you are! and it works well... for the five minutes he's sleeping and stays still. Good, then a banaid will work! I've been using athletic tape, because I wasn't sure if anything stickier would be hard on sensitive chick feet. But even since an hour ago, I went an improvised a quick sling to carry him around in with some holes for his feet, and his peddling kicked one right off again.

He's desperate to go exploring with the duckling I put in with him for company - was that bad? I know chicks don't like sleeping alone, but I don't actually have any other chicken babies, and I thought the duckling would be gentler; dull beak and claws, plus no scratching instinct getting him kicked all the time.