Chickflick29
Chirping
- Jun 9, 2020
- 44
- 44
- 91
I had a Serama chick that went through a hard hatch 3 1/2 days ago. More than 24 hours after start, it still hadn’t zipped right and wasn’t able to push itself out of the egg. I finally intervened and was able to assist it, and once it was safely out I realized it had a leg deformity (probably why it couldn’t hatch right). It’s leg doesn’t sit under its body and can’t straighten, and its toes were curled inward. I’d like to add that I’m aware it might be an incubating issue also, it was being sat on but our hen got bullied off her nest before we realized she was on eggs and they were left alone during the last winter storm. I tried to save them by putting them in the incubator, but it was a bit of guesswork to time the hatch date right. 3 other eggs hatched within the same week as this one, and they were all 100% healthy and have been given back to mama (who again decided she loves them, lol). This one is with me for safety, as it’s pretty defenseless.
I let the chick rest overnight in the incubator, which had a clean paper towel base to prevent slipping, to regain some strength but even the next day it seemed unable to use the right leg to walk and was having a hard time balancing. I moved it to a brooder and have been mixing half of a B complex vitamin capsule with 100mg riboflavin (so getting at least 25-50mg worth in its bottle cap of water) in case it’s a vitamin deficiency. I fashioned it a boot out of a business card and a band-aid that it wore for 2 days to help with its curled toes, and those do seem to have improved slightly. The chick is bright and talkative, and started eating and drinking small bits yesterday at about 2 days old. I’m worried because it still can’t move around any better, and has trouble scooting around for food and water. It can’t stay balanced well and often falls backward until it hits the towel perimeters I made to keep it safe and close to food/water. I’ve been combing through posts here and across the internet to try and figure out what’s wrong - if it’s spraddle leg, slipped tendon or something similar, I want to start treating for that. But I don’t want to hurt the chick if it’s a deformed hip or something else genetic. If it may be curly toe paralysis, I’m wondering how long after it starts getting good doses of B2 that I might see some improvement.
It’s such a sweet baby, but I’m on the fence every hour of the day about whether I can help it or if I’m just prolonging its suffering. It doesn’t seem particularly weak, just disabled. I’m attaching some pictures (ignore my gardening nails
), you can see how the chick leans. I’m not sure what the ‘dot’ on its hock is, could be a pressure injury?
Does anyone have experience with this or know what it might be? Can I save it, or should it be culled? It breaks my heart because it’s such a sweet, peppy little fighter, but I want to do what’s best no matter what.
I let the chick rest overnight in the incubator, which had a clean paper towel base to prevent slipping, to regain some strength but even the next day it seemed unable to use the right leg to walk and was having a hard time balancing. I moved it to a brooder and have been mixing half of a B complex vitamin capsule with 100mg riboflavin (so getting at least 25-50mg worth in its bottle cap of water) in case it’s a vitamin deficiency. I fashioned it a boot out of a business card and a band-aid that it wore for 2 days to help with its curled toes, and those do seem to have improved slightly. The chick is bright and talkative, and started eating and drinking small bits yesterday at about 2 days old. I’m worried because it still can’t move around any better, and has trouble scooting around for food and water. It can’t stay balanced well and often falls backward until it hits the towel perimeters I made to keep it safe and close to food/water. I’ve been combing through posts here and across the internet to try and figure out what’s wrong - if it’s spraddle leg, slipped tendon or something similar, I want to start treating for that. But I don’t want to hurt the chick if it’s a deformed hip or something else genetic. If it may be curly toe paralysis, I’m wondering how long after it starts getting good doses of B2 that I might see some improvement.
It’s such a sweet baby, but I’m on the fence every hour of the day about whether I can help it or if I’m just prolonging its suffering. It doesn’t seem particularly weak, just disabled. I’m attaching some pictures (ignore my gardening nails
), you can see how the chick leans. I’m not sure what the ‘dot’ on its hock is, could be a pressure injury? Does anyone have experience with this or know what it might be? Can I save it, or should it be culled? It breaks my heart because it’s such a sweet, peppy little fighter, but I want to do what’s best no matter what.
