.Occasionally a peachick is hatched with loose tendons in its legs or in just one leg. This makes it difficult for the chick to stand up. Correcting loose tendons in poultry is easy to correct if it is spotted soon after hatching. The leg needs to be supported while holding the tendon in place in the peachicks leg.

How to identify a loose tendon  

The elbow of the peachick will look slightly flatter and wider at the back than the other elbow on the other leg. The peachick will not be able to weight bear on the affected leg. It will not be able to walk.

Gently feel the leg, you should be able to roll the tendon towards the outside of the peachicks leg. Once you have identified that this is the problem, it should be corrected as soon as possible. Within just two days it will be too late. If the loose tendon is not corrected the bird is unlikely to survive.

When you roll the tendon out towards the outside of the leg, the elbow should look the same as the other elbow.

Correcting loose tendons in poultry

I have a video showing how to correct the slipped tendons on YouTube Click Here

Get some kitchen towel, Sellotape and scissors.

Cut a piece of kitchen towel about 2cm deep by 6cm

Get someone to hold the peachick Correcting loose tendons in poultry

Roll the tendon in towards the outside of the peachicks leg and hold in place

With the tendon in the correct place wrap the leg tightly (but not so tight that the leg goes blue) with the kitchen towel.

Stick the Kitchen towel in place by sticking the end with Sellotape.

The chick will not be able to walk. It may hobble around dragging the leg.

Put this chick on its own if you have a lot of chicks, so that it does not get trampled on by the other chicks.  You can do this by putting the chick in a box on its own in the bottom of the incubator or brooder. It is important to keep the chick warm.

Leave the kitchen towel on the leg for two days minimum.

Take the kitchen towel off the peachick and check the chicks leg. If the leg has not repaired repeat the exercise ensuring the tendon is rolled back into the correct place before applying the kitchen towel.

If you are unable to do this, take the peachick to your local vet as soon as possible.