Poultry Talk Ontario (pto.ca)

Well folks, I came home yesterday to find a 3+ week old chick with a floppy leg. It gets around well enough to stick with mom & hatchmates but I suspect it may be broken or, more likely, out of joint at the hip cause there is no visible injury or trauma. I guess I'm looking for input...any thoughts? I tend to like to give them a chance as long as it's not being cruel.

Hi Muskoka Maiden,
sorry to hear about your chick.

In "MY" experience, I have had Both scenarios.

The bird with the broken leg was segregated for about 3 wks.
After the 1st week, I put the cage outside so she could see her buddies.
By the 3rd week she was doing fine & soon rejoined the flock.
Her cage was Small - only enough room for her to have her food/water & turn around IF she ever got up.
LOTS of soft shaving in the cage. She never had a problem again.

My last hatch I had a chick that had a slipped tendon.
I watched numerous videos on how to rotate the leg & put the tendon go back into place.
The problem was my chick had a really swollen leg.
For 3 DAYS I tried everything, but
it cried, hopped around & shook in pain....just aweful.

I finally wrote the "Chicken Chick" on FB
( I have followed her for a few years, she knows a lot about chickens )
She wrote me back saying she was never able to fix a slipped tendon.
Even with a vets helped, it had slipped again.

I did the only compassionate thing I could think of.
Didn't like it, but the poor thing was suffering.

NOT saying what "you" should do, just letting you know my experience.
GOOD LUCK MM

I had it happen with a little older pullet, about 5 months old, I put her in a dog crate and in about 2 months she was OK on it, I think hers was out at the hip. She's still a little lame on it but you can't usually tell.

Thx all, you give hope that it could heal with time. She (it??) does not seem to be in any pain even when I touch the leg but puts zero weight on it. She holds it up close to her body & hops on the other leg. The momma hen & hatchmates are really very patient with it, protect it, run back to it to encourage it to 'hop-along' while the whole little family waits for it to catch up. It copes amazingly well by hopping around. Call me crazy but the fact that it has not been abandoned suggests to me that they know there is hope for it.
I tried separating but it freaked out so I added a hatchmate but momma nearly lost it (she is a very very VERY dedicated mom who thinks nothing of telling off my 90lb Great Pyrenees pup). Needless to say I reunited them & have currently let them out, while I'm home, to do chicken things but figure I'd better segregate in the maternity ward visable to the rest of the flock just to be safe.

You know that I've been calling it Hop-Along Cassidy...Cassy for short.

Since the chick isn't in pain & the family is sticking close, I think you are right...it's worth saving.
Can't wait to see the pics of Cassy (*o*)

Well well well...I started noticing Cassie's improvement a few days ago but she was still hopping however, today I saw that she now puts weight on it. There is still an obvious limp but hey, it is a GREAT sign & I'll take what I can get.