Chick injured foot/leg - previously in New Members

[silarajc]

I am new to the world of chickens. My chicks arrived Thursday, all was fine. By Saturday night, one of my assumed roos was limping. I gave him a night, and Sunday morning he was still limping (mostly just laying) and the others were walking all over him, so I isolated him in a box where he could still get heat from the heat lamp. I left food and water with him. He seemed weak this afternoon, so we held him and gave him water and offered food. I have some chick gel that I forgot was in the box with the chicks, so I will give that to him later tonight.

As for the injury, it doesn't look like most of what I've read about. There are no obvious bumps or wounds, and I've felt his bones nad joints and they seem to be the same as the other leg. However, his foot is beginning to curl more, and there doesn't seem to be any control of his toes - when i put my finger under his foot, it doesn't curl like the other, it just remains limp. When he was first injured, it was mostly limp but if you stroked it it might straighten or curl. One of his toes now looks like it is under the others. When he stands, he holds it a little forward,but he is able to bend and straighten his leg. He is able to put his weight on the leg briefly to hop. FYI, the chicks were vaccinated for Mareks.

It is his right leg, you can see below...








He's a cute little guy, and my daughters have already named him, so I would really like to figure out what can be done to help him. It's amazing how attached you can get to a week-old creature!

Someone mentioned it might be a slipped hock - any advice would be welcome!

 

[silarajc]

I had someone reply to the new members accidental post and suggest it may be a slipped hock. I don't think it is - the leg appears the same as the other, and doesn't appear splayed out or swollen like the pictures I am seeing. I am wondering if it might just be a broken toe, the one that is starting to fold under the foot?

 

[Eggcessive]

In the pictures it looks like the left leg is a little more out to the side. I would start poultry vitamins in the water containing riboflavin (vitamin B2) which can treat curling under toes. The gel in your box probably is GroGel, and that will do until you can get chick vitamins. Watch her stand from the front, and notice if her left leg is out from center more than normal. You might need to treat it like a splayed leg with a hobble. Make sure that she is getting plenty of the vitamin water by dipping her beak. You could also use iron-free PolyVisol 2-3 drops a day given orally. A chick shoe on the curly toes may be food to use. Do a Google search for The ChickenChick.com, and look for "Making chick shoes."

 

[Emtchick87]

Hey guys.... Im new to this whole forum. So I have chickens in my backyard and I went by the pet club today and they had this tiny baby all alone because he had a broken foot when he arrived. He does not bear weight on it and his toes are curled. He's eating and drinking though. I splinted his foot with clear medical tape and took him home. Also I noticed his upper leg was a little swollen where his joint is. Any advice?

 

[silarajc]

Thanks, Eggsessive. I splinted his foot (those tiny little chick bones were so hard to hold in place!) and made him a little hobble, and things are looking good. After I showed him he could stand, I came back a few minutes later and he was trying to get his balance. Praying it works!

 

[silarajc]

I also gave him the electrolyte/vitamin additive that I was putting in the water the first few days. I'll continue it for him - do you think the other chicks still need it (they are about 1 week old now)?

 

[Eggcessive]

The others don't need it, but it won't kill them either. You could get baby vitamins (give 2-3 drops daily) or some Poultry Cell and give him 1 drop daily by mouth. Check labels to make sure they have riboflavin.

 

[silarajc]

Well, the poor guy didn't make it. Found him dead this morning.

I'm wondering if it might have been Mareks, even though they were vaccinated. He seemed to have a progressive weakness in that leg. By last night he really wasn't moving it much and it seemed very weak, with the foot just limp, but when we first noticed it he would move it quite a bit.

 

[Eggcessive]

I'm really sorry that you the little guy. I seriously doubt that it was Mareks. It does not even show symptoms until 5-25 weeks of age on average. Leg bone deformities are very common.

 

[silarajc]

Thank you. My daughter had adopted him right away so she is taking it hard. I was starting to get worried about transmission, but I think you are probably right about some leg deformity that made him more susceptible to injury.

On another note - will one rooster for the whole flock of 25 hens work? I was hoping to have two to help keep watch over the hens while they are on their limited free range, as well as breeding the next generation. Would it be best to try to get another chick cockerel right away, or try to introduce one later, maybe this summer or fall?