# Leg dislocation



## Rap1 (May 12, 2018)

hello, I am new to the forum and just found your community. What brought me here is a dislocation to one of my newborn chicks. He is 5 days old and when I checked my brooder last night I saw the injury. The leg is sticking straight out from his side and just a little forward. It is definitely a dislocation. I know I have to do something very soon or it will be permanent. Any ideas would be appreciated.


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

Welcome to the forum!!!Sorry to hear about your chick.The only things I could think of are to pull on the leg and try to get the ball socket back in the right place but it would be painful or cull it.Can it move the leg or is it stuck in that position?


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Hi. Ditto. Since he's so tiny, you may want to try using a bandaid , and fold each end around the leg and and back to the center and press closed. This makes a brace that uses one leg to keep the other leg in position. They fumble around in the beginning but figure out how to walk with it pretty quick. Hopefully being at the normal angle will promote healing in the right position.


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## Rap1 (May 12, 2018)

chickenqueen said:


> Welcome to the forum!!!Sorry to hear about your chick.The only things I could think of are to pull on the leg and try to get the ball socket back in the right place but it would be painful or cull it.Can it move the leg or is it stuck in that position?


It is pretty much stuck in that position. Culling May be the ultimate but I am going to try and pull it into position. I did some anatomy homework and tried to set it. I heard it pop but it set for a very short period of time and came right back out. I think I will try to set and then use the bandaid idea someone else selected. I think I will make a small splint for the leg and then use the bandaid around that to try and support it.


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## Rap1 (May 12, 2018)

seminolewind said:


> Hi. Ditto. Since he's so tiny, you may want to try using a bandaid , and fold each end around the leg and and back to the center and press closed. This makes a brace that uses one leg to keep the other leg in position. They fumble around in the beginning but figure out how to walk with it pretty quick. Hopefully being at the normal angle will promote healing in the right position.


I am going to try this along with setting it then use this to hold it in position. Wish I could give the guy a little shot of whiskey and a bullet to bite on cause this is going to hurt like hell.


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## I love chickens (Mar 21, 2018)

We use the little tiny rubber bands put it around one leg then twist and put over the other leg check every day to make sure the leg isn't getting circulation cut off


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Whatever you do, it'll be the right thing for the chick.


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

Leg injuries are hard to treat.Sometimes they get over it,sometimes not.FYI-you can give chickens a baby aspirin(no Tylenol!!!) for pain and swelling but I wouldn't give it to something under 8 wks old and I know that doesn't help you now but for future references.Good luck treating the chick and keep us up to date.


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## Rap1 (May 12, 2018)

Thanks to all of you for your ideas. Actually we have now tried them all. All with a little success but ultimately they failed. The best I thought was the one my wife suggested using the self adhesive tape they use in hospitals, the kind they often put around the cotton on a blood test. I sealed it permanently shut with a drop of super glue. It worked very well but ultimately failed all for the same reason. The bird was very strong and agile. I think he was a bit to old and We could not over come his determination to get them off. He bit through two rubber bands. He pulled the bandaids off twice and slowly and methodically pulled his leg out of the surgical tape. He has a new name Houdini. During this time his bones were growing rapidly and muscles tightening and the leg partially set. All these methods held it in place long enough for the muscles to help hold it in place and I can feel that it has stabilized quite a bit. It is still out at an angle but not as bad. He is going to have to live with it and if I see him start to suffer then I will have to euthanize him. Right now he seems fine with it.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Well maybe it will work. I had a Houdini as well. She broke her leg way up by the hip. The vet said he would bandage it but it did not look good. She weaseled out of 3 bandages and by that time had a limp so I put her in a smaller pen with a buddy and nothing to jump on top of and she lived for another 18 months with some aspirin on occasion.


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