Splayed leg chick not doing well in hobbles

[Redhead Rae]

I have a chick that hatched with a LOT of help on Thursday afternoon. It was born really splay legged due to temp problems in the incubator. I initially thought nothing could be done because the chick was so far back on its hocks that its feet were up by its ears.

Someone convinced me hobbling could work. So, yesterday afternoon. I tried hobbling the chick and giving it boots. I took the boots off today because its feet look better, but it still isn't able to pick its chest off the ground. I just offered food today and I've been watering the chick by hand because it doesn't have to coordination to drink. Is there anything I can do to help the chick more? Ever time I pick the chick up, I stretch its legs and hips in a downward motion from its body, very gently. The chick actually seems to enjoy the stretches.

 

[azygous]

The poor little thing is sure trying. Do you have about an inch space between the legs? Maybe the hobble is too close together.

 

[Redhead Rae]

The poor little thing is sure trying. Do you have about an inch space between the legs? Maybe the hobble is too close together.

I think this is about an inch....

 

[azygous]

That looks fine. Are you giving B-12? It will help strengthen the legs.

 

[Redhead Rae]

That looks fine. Are you giving B-12? It will help strengthen the legs.

I've been giving straight nutridrench and the chick now has strong drench water. Does that have B-12?

Someone showed me a picture and I made a contraption for the chick. I'll post pics in a minute.

 

[Redhead Rae]

@Redhead Rae I’ve never dealt with this but I wonder if a chick sling might work? You could even pull it’s legs into position under it. Hobble them closer to the body to pull the hips in maybe?

This one they even pulled it’s feet together to line everything up better.

So, someone posted these suggestions in a chat thread and this picture and I decided to made a sling for this chick. It has such a will, that I don't really want to put it down, unless I have to.

First, I took some vet wrap (wonderful stuff) and put its legs through. The poor thing kept wriggling, so I wrapped it like a burrito, It helped calm the baby down.

After I got it wrapped, I could see its problem is that it is knock-kneed or knock-hocked and its feet go out to the side from the knocked-hocks.

So I wrapped a piece of card board in painters tape with the sticky side out, stuck the chick's feet to the board and taped over.

I had to tape the back of the cardboard down because the chick kept pulling it up and I cut a slit and folded back the wings so the chick's poop can fall. I used a utensil holder because it looked to be about the right size.

I wrapped the front in more vet wrap because the chick kept trying to get out of the sling by going down.

The chick is now set up with feed and drench water right in front of it. It is lapping up the drench water. I haven't seen it eat yet.

 

[Rubysword]

That's amazing! I wouldn't be able to do that. Nice chicken burrito!

 

[azygous]

The sling is a great idea, and you've really engineered it nicely!

I've read where chicks put in a sling and allowed vertical room to contact and push against the floor can develop strength in the legs. You can also take the chick out and do manual exercises where you encourage it to push against the floor.

 

[Anansi]

I would suggest using a syringe with some mash, thinned out with nutridrench to the consistency of baby food to make sure it's eating. Once it's gotten a taste of that, hopefully it will start eating more on it's own, and drinking, too. Unstick the cardboard from the bottom of the container, without unwrapping legs or feet, once or twice daily to do physical therapy, then in a few days check to see how it's doing with standing/walking. Physical therapy consists of moving the feet, together, in the range of motion needed for walking, so that the knees are straight and it's only the hip joints being moved, and then keeping the hips still and gently bending the knees. This will make sure tensions and ligaments needing to be kept looser for walking do not get too tight. You can let the chick push it's knees back against your hand once they are bent, this will help strengthen the muscle. When you do this, start with almost no resistance and over the course of a few days, gradually add resistance until the chick is pushing it's legs back to a standing position with you only providing two "walls" for it to bump into while trying to stay balance from falling sideways. If it falls to only one side, and never to the other give the leg on the side it falls to a little more strength training. If all goes well, it should be ok and when you undo the feet and hobbling, it will only be a matter getting the stepping forward and backward coordination going so it can walk instead of hop.

That's all I can think of right now. I hope everything turns out well with the little cutie. I'm going to be a tater and throw out a gender neutral name, Gimpy.

 

[Redhead Rae]

The sling is a great idea, and you've really engineered it nicely!

I've read where chicks put in a sling and allowed vertical room to contact and push against the floor can develop strength in the legs. You can also take the chick out and do manual exercises where you encourage it to push against the floor.

I would suggest using a syringe with some mash, thinned out with nutridrench to the consistency of baby food to make sure it's eating. Once it's gotten a taste of that, hopefully it will start eating more on it's own, and drinking, too. Unstick the cardboard from the bottom of the container, without unwrapping legs or feet, once or twice daily to do physical therapy, then in a few days check to see how it's doing with standing/walking. Physical therapy consists of moving the feet, together, in the range of motion needed for walking, so that the knees are straight and it's only the hip joints being moved, and then keeping the hips still and gently bending the knees. This will make sure tensions and ligaments needing to be kept looser for walking do not get too tight. You can let the chick push it's knees back against your hand once they are bent, this will help strengthen the muscle. When you do this, start with almost no resistance and over the course of a few days, gradually add resistance until the chick is pushing it's legs back to a standing position with you only providing two "walls" for it to bump into while trying to stay balance from falling sideways. If it falls to only one side, and never to the other give the leg on the side it falls to a little more strength training. If all goes well, it should be ok and when you undo the feet and hobbling, it will only be a matter getting the stepping forward and backward coordination going so it can walk instead of hop.

That's all I can think of right now. I hope everything turns out well with the little cutie. I'm going to be a tater and throw out a gender neutral name, Gimpy.

I think the physical therapy idea is great. However I think I'll leave it in the sling for a day or two first. The way the sling is built, I would have to undo it completely to get the chick out (because of the foot board). I think after that long in that position, I'll be able to start doing physical therapy.

As far as the dry feed, The chick has been eating it. I had to add more because it had eaten everything in reach.