Two week old chick with a splayed leg?

BackyardDove

Songster
9 Years
Oct 8, 2014
238
13
144
Central Texas
Almost two weeks ago, I hatched my first successful incubator hatch, with 19 chicks hatching. All of the chicks were healthy, save for one chick who was unable to flip over whenever it would accidentally fall onto it's back. That chick looked hopeful that he'd pull out of it, but he ended up dying a few days later. Nobody else had any issues. No crooked feet, no splayed legs, nothing. I made to specially check for these things soon after they were up and on their feet, so I could quickly fix any issues. Well, yesterday, one of the chicks started splaying one leg. Yesterday it wasn't all that bad, and now today, it's at a 90 degree angle from how it should be positioned. I'm thinking it may be a nutritional issue since the chick started splaying once it was older, but I'm not sure what kind of nutritional issue. They were all placed in a plastic tub with a thick layer of cedar shavings. They were also given fresh filtered water and medicated chick feed. I believed the feed is Purina, but I could be wrong since I just started using this brand not too long ago. I can get the nutritional values if needed. I've given them some vitamin/electrolyte water today to see if maybe that helps her, but I want to know if there's anything else I can do. I noticed that the splayed chick is having a bit of a time navigating around on the slippery shavings, so should I move them over to a wire bottomed cage?

And again, I repeat, none of them had splayed legs at hatch or for the following week after hatching. This is not something I just didn't notice.
 
Almost two weeks ago, I hatched my first successful incubator hatch, with 19 chicks hatching. All of the chicks were healthy, save for one chick who was unable to flip over whenever it would accidentally fall onto it's back. That chick looked hopeful that he'd pull out of it, but he ended up dying a few days later. Nobody else had any issues. No crooked feet, no splayed legs, nothing. I made to specially check for these things soon after they were up and on their feet, so I could quickly fix any issues. Well, yesterday, one of the chicks started splaying one leg. Yesterday it wasn't all that bad, and now today, it's at a 90 degree angle from how it should be positioned. I'm thinking it may be a nutritional issue since the chick started splaying once it was older, but I'm not sure what kind of nutritional issue. They were all placed in a plastic tub with a thick layer of cedar shavings. They were also given fresh filtered water and medicated chick feed. I believed the feed is Purina, but I could be wrong since I just started using this brand not too long ago. I can get the nutritional values if needed. I've given them some vitamin/electrolyte water today to see if maybe that helps her, but I want to know if there's anything else I can do. I noticed that the splayed chick is having a bit of a time navigating around on the slippery shavings, so should I move them over to a wire bottomed cage?

And again, I repeat, none of them had splayed legs at hatch or for the following week after hatching. This is not something I just didn't notice.
It could be Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) deficiency. You can give human B-Complex vitamin (no iron), crush it and put it in her food.

You mention "slippery shavings", splay leg can occur if surfaces are too slick, so changing that may help. Also if they were mine I would not use Cedar, I feel like it's too aromatic for a chick's delicate respiratory system - pine may be better.

Here's more information on treating leg issues and vitamin deficiencies.

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/6/diseases-of-poultry/217/vitamin-b2-deficiency/
http://www.tillysnest.com/2014/03/vitamin-deficiencies-in-backyard-chicks-html/

https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/leg-foot-and-toe-issues-in-poultry-of-all-ages
 
It could be Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) deficiency. You can give human B-Complex vitamin (no iron), crush it and put it in her food.

You mention "slippery shavings", splay leg can occur if surfaces are too slick, so changing that may help. Also if they were mine I would not use Cedar, I feel like it's too aromatic for a chick's delicate respiratory system - pine may be better.

Here's more information on treating leg issues and vitamin deficiencies.

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/6/diseases-of-poultry/217/vitamin-b2-deficiency/
http://www.tillysnest.com/2014/03/vitamin-deficiencies-in-backyard-chicks-html/

https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/leg-foot-and-toe-issues-in-poultry-of-all-ages

Well it's been five days and she hasn't gotten any better. I did read that it may be a B2 issue before you replied, so I've been giving her a couple drops of that in her water. The stuff I have is in liquid form. I said slippery shavings in that she has a harder time getting her footing with her splayed leg, the shavings aren't actually slippery. I've raised many chicks using these shavings and never had an issue with splaying legs before. She slips on paper towels too, the only thing that she doesn't struggle with is carpeting. The shavings may very well be pine, I'd have to look at the bag, but I didn't figure the type of shaving really mattered when it's her leg that's messed up. It's been a while since I last bought a bag, so I can't remember off the top of my head what kind it is.

I'm sure she has a slipped tendon, but I can't feel the slipped tendon and it's too late to fix it now. If nothing else, she's able to get around fairly well now. Her leg isn't any better, but she seems to be learning how to cope with her new disability. There's no swelling or apparent pain, she just has a bit of an issue walking, so I decided not to cull her. Luckily, she seems to be the only one who's developed this, and I believe it was a nutrient deficiency in her parent's diet, since I've never had any deformities in the chicks I've bred and raised, and she happens to be from a batch that I did not breed.
 

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