Chick not using 1 leg - *****PHOTOS ADDED please help*******

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crispyminstral

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I had a Belgian Bantam chick hatch earlier this afternoon, the first of 10 fertile eggs in my new incubator (1 more has since hatched, 3 more have pipped) I looked in earlier and it appeared to be hobbling and I quickly and gently picked it up, as I thought there was a dried piece of membrane round the hock, preventing the chick from placing its foot down, but on closer examination, there was nothing visible preventing the foot from being placed down. The chick is holding the leg underneath itself - it hasn't splayed to the side - but it is resting more on the hock and not using the foot which appears normal too. The other leg/foot is fine.

I will let it recover from it's busy day today,the try and get some photos tomorrow, but if there is anything I can do for it then please post details here as it is a bright and strong little thing - and rather noisy too!
 
OK so here are some pics I took this morning. As you can see, the little guy is resting on his hock, which looks slightly larger than the other one and the foot is slightly turned inwards. Also if you turn him on his back, he stretches and kicks out with the good, but the poorly leg doesn't do so much although it does have some degree of movement in it and isn't stuck in that position. Any help or advice greatly received as I am quite worried about the little chap and he is so happy and strong in himself it seems a shame if nothing can be done :(

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/KarlosFandango/P1040704.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/KarlosFandango/P1040703.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/KarlosFandango/P1040702.jpg
 
It could be the tendon has slipped, specially considering the position of the foot. I would try and gently place foot in a straight positon, the tendon should then go back into the correct alignment.This should be at the back of the hock joint in a little groove in the bone if that makes sense? Strap gently with micropore tape or similar to keep in positon and help heal the joint. If there is a lot of swelling it is harder. Try and treat as soon as possible though.
Make sure the chick has access to good quality feed and water and all times and is not competing with his siblings, you could add a touch of vitamins to help (vit B try caged bird suppl.)
Hope this helps!
 
Ok, have straightened the leg and put it in a chick chair under the heat lamp, it is only 24 hours since it hatched so I know he's ok for food and water until tomorrow. The leg is in a much better place, going to let him warm up and destress then add a shoe for his crooked foot. Only thing now is how to regulate his temperature under the heat lamp as he is at a fixed distance under it. Any ideas?
 
Whenever i have chicks in a box, i have the box by the walland I hang my heat lamp from a knob in the wall. I attach a chain to the lamp and have it nailed in the wall and to raise the lamp i wrap the chain round the knob and to lower it i unhook some of the chain. I keep the chicks in a box with shallow sand. I put a thermometer on the sand. I check the temp. regularly. In the first week I keep the temperature around body temperature, slowly lowering the temperature till at a couple of months old they are hardened off and outside. :ugeek: 8-) :ugeek: 8-)
 
The lamp is hanging which is fine and it can be moved up or down, but my concern is that the chick cannot put himself where he wants to be, he is stuck at a certain height. How can I tell if he's too hot - too cold and I know he'll cheep a lot, but too hot?
 
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