Quail chick is lame but has no other outward signs of illness

[Mhays]

I've been searching here and in general - so, we bought some adults and some quail chicks from a local breeder, who's a good guy and was kind enough to swap the rooster I accidentally bought for the hen I intended to get.

Everybody is settling in and mostly doing fine - I just moved most of the chicks out of the bin I used as a brooder into the habitat we've built. But we have one little guy/gal, who might have had a different hatch day than the rest, he's always seemed a little smaller and a little bit behind, whose legs don't work right. I left him in the brooder with a couple buddies because he ba-doops if he's not around friends, but he/she's staying in the brooder for a bit. (I have nicknamed him or her Ba-Doop)

I've looked over both legs and feet carefully, and can't find anything that looks like a deformity or infection. Legs are smooth and light yellow/tan, just like all the other chicks (we are treating a slight case of Bumblefoot in one of our adult hens, so I know it's not that.) He seems perky, eats, drinks, looks around and engages with what's around him, but instead of walking, he kind of hops everywhere, and clearly doesn't like to move if he doesn't have to. Kind of like he's going to boink, he pushes up with both feet and flops himself forwards (now with a little wing action) but he doesn't seem to have the strength to get very far.

I've been feeding NatureWise 20% Chick starter (we couldn't find anything with higher protein in a big bag,) and supplementing with Manna Pro Gamebird crumbles, UltraKibble for Chicks and mealworms. They have paper, aspen shavings and hay as substrate, and I've cleaned it pretty much every other day because otherwise they stink. They have ready access to fresh water with a little apple cider vinegar in it.

It seems kind of like the little guy pulled his hamstrings, if I had to guess. Since he was smaller, the bigger chicks were a little rough with him - not bullying, but just kinda shoving him out of the way or accidentally jumping on him. They aren't significantly bigger, it's hard to tell unless you look closely. He can stand up to peep...can stretch his neck out and stand up fully, but clearly gets tired quickly and sits back down. Usually he sits like a little happy blob and looks around, occasionally hopping.

Sorry for the missive, just wanted to make sure I got all the info in...

 

[Mhays]

This is the baby in question

 

[Kale the Quail]

@Nabiki , @Fenrisulfr ?

 

[Nabiki]

Can you get a picture of him (from what I could see of the chest, looks like a him) actually moving? He looks alert and healthy enough otherwise.

 

[Fenrisulfr]

It is maybe a latety. They are always a bit behind and may not thrive.

I had one of these in my recent hatch. I seperated him from the others, as they also were a little bit rough to him, not on pupose, but accedently, and he also cried for his companions. So placed him back.

Unfortunately I spooked the bunch one morning and the boinking bigger ones injured him, by hitting him hard on landing and dislocated the leg at the hipp.

I had to cull it.

Leaving only a few companions is a very good move from you. But "Micro" was much younger than "Ba-Doop", considering its plumage.

I am crossing fingers for your Ba-Doop

I read controversal discussions about giving eggs to chicks and I never tried it, but maybe you can give it some hardcooked, mashed egg (best just the egg jolk) mixed with some blue poppy seeds and dried oregano as a special protein power diet (the poppy seeds is preventing diarrhae and oregano also helps the digesting system).
But not too much, as it is high fat. Maybe every 3rd day, just to compensate your low protein feed.

 

[Mhays]

I did actually try scrambled eggs, just because I wasn't comfortable with the protein content of the feed I had - nobody would eat it. I'll try just mashed yolk - I've been putting oregano in the pens as an air freshener, so that's easy, will just have to take a look for poppy seeds. He does seem to have relatively normal poos.

Will see if I can get video of him in the pen. Apparently one of the other chicks I moved is a best buddy because they've been ba-dooping a lot back and forth, but of course I can never catch which one in time...

 

[Mhays]

 

[Nabiki]

Okay, I can see that he really doesn't like to walk, and when he does, he doesn't just limp, he tries to completely avoid using the leg. Does the leg look normal? I know I'm asking a lot of questions, but can you get a good picture of both of his legs, perhaps with him on his back?
@007Sean might have an idea.

 

[Mhays]

Will do. Don't see anything odd about them, and he doesn't have any pressure sensitivity - he just doesn't like stretching that leg out, almost like a pulled groin in a human - but he's been booping along without an issue other than that. And if you see in the first video, he's *able* to stand with his full weight on both legs when yelling.

 

[Mhays]