[Vonnie]

My 2 broodies had 6 chicks on Monday and all looked great apart from one of them which seemed to have some problem with its legs but mum wouldn't let me near to look.  Yesterday when i was checking on them she was just the same and I said to hubby that if there was no improvement by today maybe we would have to intervene with a vet or worse..... When I went out to check on them today the poor little thig was missing!!! We have cleared the hutch out but there is nothing there!!! no fluff...nothing.... :unsure:Any ideas?  Sounds daft I know but could it have been eaten by the other chucks?
Vonnie

[iwantanallotment]

What are they in, Vonnie? When you say "hutch" I'm picturing a closed rabbit hutch with absolutely nowhere to hide?  Is their bedding deep, have you searched through it?

If the hutch is entirely enclosed and no means of escape, and chick is not buried in bedding, then the only alternative is that Mum has eaten it. Wouldn't necessarily be any fluff or mess, she can eat it whole.

Owls are cannibals and often eat their young, but never heard of it with poultry 
Doesn't mean it doesn't happen! Many animals dispose of 'faulty' young this way.

Re the legs, in case it happens again - there are ways of treating splayed legs and you'll find many topics about it if you do a search. Needs to be done asap, while the limbs are still supple and molding.

[Vonnie]

They are in a rabbit hutch with 2 bedroom areas and a large open area.  Was told to put them in it as it was ground level, the day after they hatched as they were in the nesting box in the coop!! plenty of deep bedding to keep the warm etc and the ones in there are doing great, eating, feeding, playing etc.  Looked everywhere for the other one though but nothing!!!! I feel awful........

[iwantanallotment]

plenty of deep bedding to keep the warm etc

Have you looked through the bedding, Vonnie? A crippled chick could very easily become buried in it with the others gadding about.

If it isn't there, it's been eaten. Don't feel awful, it's just a part of nature. Mom was dispatching her sick baby.

But please do look into the splayed legs thing, as it really is quite common but can be cured at home 

[Vonnie]

where can i find info on splayed legs? looked on here but cant find it?
Vonnie

[iwantanallotment]

Go to The Hen House at the bottom of the page Vonnie, and when it comes up with all the various topics on etc, just type "splayed legs" in the search box top right.
It will then search all topics in the Hen House for splayed legs being mentioned.
Splay legs is another term you can also search.

The basic cure is to attach a splint of sorts between the two legs - some use plasters, others elastic bands - to keep the 2 legs apart at the proper distance........the idea being that as the chick grows, its legs will grow accustomed to their proper position and muscle/bone etc will form correctly - and the chick will be able to walk/stand etc just like any other chick within a very short time.

[joyfull]

Hi Vonnie. it is also known as spraddle leg have a look at this link that Big Jen posted before in case you get it again:-

http://www.poultryhelp.com/spraddle.html

It does sound rather like mum has dispatched it if it's nowhere in the bedding (rabbits will also do that), it is just nature I'm afraid. Mum has to think of the others - survival of the fittest - in the wild an injured animal would slow them all down and risk the chance of them all become prey to any preditors, sad but that's just the way it is     joyxx