baby chick with bent leg

[BirdWorld]

hi guys! im not sure if anyone remembers me here since i havent really posted in years, but i had a question. ive been hatching/raising chickens for the past couple years and today i noticed one of my chicks legs are crooked, one leg more than the other? he doesnt seem to be in pain or lethargic or anything else out of the ordinary, but he does stumble/limp when walking and his foot is lifted on the side.
ive been very busy lately so my siblings have been the ones taking the chicks out to play with them most days so im not sure if they would have noticed anything off, but i took the chicks out to clean their box today and noticed this immediately. the chicks are about 4 weeks old now.
here is a picture of the chicken, if anyone knows why this could be please let me know!

 

[Shannan]

I'm no expert but maybe splayed leg (though not severe). Cute little chunky chicken. Maran?

 

[AussieBird]

Hey! It has been awhile since i saw you around!

So you do not know if he hatched like that? I'd be inclined to say slipped tendon moreso than splayed leg. Unfortunately I do not know of slipped tendon being able to be corrected past a few days old. If you very gently hold your fingers over the hock and extend the leg straight back can you feel the tendon slip back in? Do not put any pressure if the leg refuses to extend back. If that happens the tendon has already adjusted to being in the new position.
There are a couple other possible options but that's the one that comes to my mind.

 

[BirdWorld]

I'm no expert but maybe splayed leg (though not severe). Cute little chunky chicken. Maran?

it does look like that, although it's bent at the knee which confused me a little? im not sure ive never had a chick with splayed leg before does anyone have advice on what i should do for it if that's the case?

Cute little chunky chicken. Maran?

thank you! and i think so, although im not 100% sure about the breeds of any of my chickens lol

 

[BirdWorld]

Hey! It has been awhile since i saw you around!

hi!! i know it feels like its been forever since i was here

So you do not know if he hatched like that? I'd be inclined to say slipped tendon moreso than splayed leg. Unfortunately I do not know of slipped tendon being able to be corrected past a few days old. If you very gently hold your fingers over the hock and extend the leg straight back can you feel the tendon slip back in? Do not put any pressure if the leg refuses to extend back. If that happens the tendon has already adjusted to being in the new position.
There are a couple other possible options but that's the one that comes to my mind.

i don't think he hatched like that, it's possible i might have not noticed among the rest of the chicks but i doubt it. i looked it up and slipped tendon did seem like a possibility, i really hope it's not something bad though. when i picked him up before i was scared to put any pressure on his leg in case he was hurt but i'll take a look now and let you know, thank you!

 

[BirdWorld]

If you very gently hold your fingers over the hock and extend the leg straight back can you feel the tendon slip back in? Do not put any pressure if the leg refuses to extend back. If that happens the tendon has already adjusted to being in the new position.

i tried and nothing happened unfortunately

If that happens the tendon has already adjusted to being in the new position.

so if this is the case, is there anything else i can do to fix it, and if not will it get worse as time passes? i don't want him to be in pain or struggling to walk, especially as he gets bigger.

i just spoke to my dad (who has been taking care of the chicks along with me) and he said he did notice the chicken's leg looking odd sometime a week ago but thought nothing of it. i dont know what to do now ugh, i feel so bad for this poor chick and i cant believe i didnt notice anything sooner smh i just hope he can get better

 

[AussieBird]

so if this is the case, is there anything else i can do to fix it, and if not will it get worse as time passes? i don't want him to be in pain or struggling to walk, especially as he gets bigger.

At this age, as far as I'm aware the only thing that'll help would be a surgery. But I dont even believe a lot of vets do it.

With extra care he could probably live a decent life. I'll share some resources a bit later when i have some more free time. I had a hen with double slipped tendon, unfortunately with her severe case she was only able to live a year. In my research i read a story about a hen with one slipped tendon, her owner shared a lot of helpful tips, and documented it really nicely.

i just spoke to my dad (who has been taking care of the chicks along with me) and he said he did notice the chicken's leg looking odd sometime a week ago but thought nothing of it. i dont know what to do now ugh, i feel so bad for this poor chick and i cant believe i didnt notice anything sooner smh i just hope he can get better

It's never easy when you have not perfectly healthy ones. I had a fair few in my last hatch and it can be hard to do your best for them.
Ultimately it's going to come down to how much you're willing to do and if you're up to commiting to a special needs chicken. It's definitely not for everyone.

 

[AussieBird]

I was having a hard time finding the things i remember reading... this was the chicken i remembered though, i remember reading alot of posts by her owner.

Anyone Manage Leg Deformity Long-Term?

Here's Twiggy: I just adopted her knowing she has a leg deformity (it's looking like varus). I plan to do my best to give her a decent quality of life. When I research varus, I see most chickens with a deformed leg end up being euthanized because they would be unable to function as part of a...

www.backyardchickens.com

 

[BirdWorld]

I was having a hard time finding the things i remember reading... this was the chicken i remembered though, i remember reading alot of posts by her owner.

Anyone Manage Leg Deformity Long-Term?

Here's Twiggy: I just adopted her knowing she has a leg deformity (it's looking like varus). I plan to do my best to give her a decent quality of life. When I research varus, I see most chickens with a deformed leg end up being euthanized because they would be unable to function as part of a...

www.backyardchickens.com

the leg of the chick in this thread looks so similar to mine so i'm pretty sure now that has to be a slipped tendon. i really don't think surgery is an option for us, i'll see what my dad thinks about the situation but i might have to accept that it can't be treated anymore, especially since it probably isn't a new injury.
im willing to take care of him for as long as possible, even if his ability to walk worsens or he needs to be separated from the rest of the chickens or hand fed, but i'm more worried about whether he's in pain. as far as i can tell this tends to be really painful for the chicks, especially as it worsens, and even though he doesnt act strange or seem to be in pain i'm sure it hurts.

one of the first things that comes up on google when i search about slipped tendon is
"You could try gradually stretching the leg the leg a number of times for a few days to lengthen the tendon, & then try correcting the placement. This is especially true of young chicks because their legs are growing so quickly." does this still apply to my chick or is it too late to try and correct and i'd just hurt him?

i'll probably attach another photo to this thread just to see if anyone has any other ideas or advice. but thank you so much for your help AB!