See symptoms, causes, prevention, and treatments for slipped achilles tendon in baby chicks. Watch our featured video: Derpy's Success Story. A slipped achilles tendon can cause a baby chick much pain and left untreated can cause permanent crippling and increasing discomfort and pain. Many people have success with the following treatments but they are not always successful. Sometimes this condition sometimes comes with other problems such as curled toes or splayed legs.

Symptoms of Slipped Tendon in Baby Chicks

• The back of the hock will look flat (Compare to other legs to double-check).
• The bird won't be able to fully straighten its leg by itself.
• The bird will likely exhibit pain at least the first few days after injury. Birds may peep or cry repeatedly.
• The joint will become swollen after a while.
• Hold the joint between your thumb & finger and roll it back and forth. If the tendon has slipped, you will feel it snap back into place (and back out again, if the bone is not sufficiently developed). If you don't feel the tendon pop in, your bird may instead have a rotated femur, which requires surgery.
• One leg may rotate out to the side or twist underneath the bird (showing Splayed Leg), depending on whether the tendon has slipped to the outside or inside of the leg.
• If the tendons are slipped in both legs, the bird will stand & walk hunched down / squatting on its hocks ("elbows"), and may use its wings for balance. 

Causes of Slipped Tendon in Baby Chicks

The main cause of slipped tendons in baby chicks legs is usually a vitamin deficiency and in some cases it can even be a genetic defect but many times it is caused by slippery flooring in the cage or pen which can cause injuries.

Possible Treatments for Slipped Tendon in Baby Chicks

The first thing you need to do if you see your chick is having any type of leg or other health problem is to separate it from the other baby chicks. Keep the chick warm and keep fresh feed and water available at all times. A slipped tendon should be treated right away to prevent swelling which will make the healing process more difficult. The longer it goes unnoticed the more chances the tendon can develop deformed or shortened. If it has been more than a few days it may be very painful for the bird and we highly recommend taking the bird to a vet. You can try using physical therapy by gradually stretching the leg several times a day to lengthen the tendon and then try correcting the placement. ​

• Feed-Make sure you feed your baby chick a high protein feed (20% or higher).
• Vitamin B-If you see that your baby chick is developing leg problems, adding Vitamin B supplements to their diet may correct the problem very quickly.
• Vitamins and electrolytes-Add vitamins and electrolytes to their diet but be wary of supplements that contain calcium and iron because a baby chicks system is not equipped to process them.
• Nutri Drench
• Sugar-Add a sprinkle of sugar to their feed each time you feed them or to their vitamin supplement.
• Calcivet (1-2 drops) per day/per chick can give a baby chick with difficulty walking an added boost.
• Reposition the tendon (See below)
• Hobbles can be used to keep the chicks legs in the proper position. These can be made from vet tape.

Repositioning a Slipped Tendon & Holding it in Place With Tape

​An achilles slipped tendon can be moved to the correct place by gently pulling the upper part of the bird's leg slightly behind the normal position. Then the leg must be carefully straightened as if the bird was stretching its leg back in a normal stretching motion. Gently press against the side of the tendon and it should pop back into place easily without causing pain. Gently release the leg and it should return to a normal bent position. In some cases you can simply push the tendon back in place if it does not cause the bird pain. If the tendon does not stay in place you can repeat the repositioning of the tendon and wrap the joint area with vet tape or sports tape several times with a thin strip of tape. The tape should be checked and changed every other day until the tendon stays in place. 
It is advisable to make a sling so that the bird's feet do not touch the floor for a few days or making a cast for the leg which can easily be done by cutting a piece of a bendable drinking straw to the length of the leg and slitting it on the side, place it around the birds leg and use tape to to close the opening, position the leg in the proper bent position. If you do use the sling method you will need to suspend the bird with it's legs hanging freely and not too tight as to restrict blood circulation. Legs should not touch the ground. 

What to Do After the Tendon is Back in Place

The tendon will need about 5 days to heal and grow muscle around it. See if the chick can walk correctly and that the tendon stays in the correct position without the tape or cast. If the chick has trouble walking at first you may need to do some short physical therapy sessions. Never move the legs in an unnatural position. Be sure to watch for chafing or bruising when changing the tape and cast. In extreme cases you may need to contact a veterinarian to perform surgery. Do not put the bird back in with the flock until healing is complete. You may need to consider putting the bird with non aggressive chicks smaller than it so that it has companions and can see how other chicks walk.

Preventing Slipped Tendons in Baby Chicks

Baby chicks grow very quickly and it is very important to provide them with a high protein crumble feed. It is highly recommended to supply extra vitamins and electrolytes to their diet to ensure strong bones and muscles and to provide the extra nutritional needs of their fast growing bodies
​(1, Poultry Pedia).

Important Note

It is highly recommended that you take the baby chick to a vet for proper diagnosis and care. If you are unable to for whatever reason these are suggested ways that may or may not help, there is no implied responsibility on our part. I can say in my experience I have tried this and it worked on two chicks and did not work on a third one which had to be put out of her misery as she was suffering. 

Poultry Podiatry

Derpy's Success Story

"Here is a short video about a chick hatched with some special needs and how we overcame them. The chick suffered from a slipped tendon, splayed leg, and curled toes. After about a week of treatment, the chick is doing great"! (2)

Leg problems in chickens-signs, symptoms, and treatments: Go to Leg Problems in Chickens

References:
1. Poultry Podiatry retrieved on Feb. 1,2017 from Poultrypedia.com. https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry#chick_crooked_leg
2. Video. Derpy's Success Story. (Apr. 13, 2016). ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UriIbV6dXwo