week-old chick with turned-under feet. HELP!

[We4newbies]

I have a black australorp chick that is just over a week old whose feet have turned under in the time we've had him/her. All the others are fine, but "licorice" is now spending most of the time sitting. When he/she does try to walk, he is forced to resort to walking on full shank or on the joint where the shank meets the foot. All the chicks have been fed Purina medicated Start & Grow--nothing else, and have always had fresh water. The brooder is lined with pine shavings, so I don't suspect it is a spraddle leg problem. Help! I will try to post a picture if that would be helpful. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ANY ADVICE!

 

[Judy]

I hope you haven't waited too long. I would duct tape her feet to a light piece of cardboard in the proper position. Here's an article about foot and leg problems:

https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry

 

[We4newbies]

Thanks, Flockwatcher. It sounds strange, but it seemed to develop in just the last week... Licorice seemed to be totally fine before this. We've splinted "her" feet, now, and will continue to watch and wait.

 

[We4newbies]

Thanks, Flockwatcher. It sounds strange, but it seemed to develop in just the last week... Licorice seemed to be totally fine before this. We've splinted "her" feet, now, and will continue to watch and wait.

I realized how silly this sounds, since they're just over a week... I should've said, "in just the past couple of days". lol

 

[We4newbies]

I am happy to report that, after only 3 days, Licorice's feet are almost COMPLETELY back to normal! We had to try several different "shoe" types, but finally "came to roost" on bent pipe cleaners (chenille stems). We could hardly believe our eyes when we took off the shoes and leg brace...
I can hardly wait to post pics of the success! Thanks so much, flockwatcher, for your timely advice!

 

[We4newbies]

 

[BlazeJester]

I'm sorry to have not seen this sooner. I had this same problem with a partridge rock around 1.5wks old. I think it was a vitamin B deficiency. I put her in an isolation cage and kept her with her own food and water supply and put electrolytes in her water. I gave no other measures and she recovered within a week. I used a livestock electrolyte I got from my local feed store, but Poly-Vi-Sol and Sav-A-Chik are commonly referenced.