This could be a very serious issue.
I had a chick get a scrape on one of her hocks when born. When learning to walk, she would hold that leg off to the side to try to minimize the hock touching the ground. I tried hobbling, like you do for spraddle legs, but she got into a pattern of using her legs incorrectly and ended up with deformed legs and having to be put down.
My best recommendations would be:
1. Put on hock cushions using white cloth sports tape (or the sticky part of a bandaid) to attach a thin piece of foam cushion to the back of the chicks\' lower legs such that the cushion extends up past the hocks and protects them. This helps a lot to soften impact and minimize chafing.
Notes:
I would put one on both hocks even if only one is bruised; that way, the chick\'s legs will be evenly balanced for while the chick is learning patterns of movement.
Also, it is
IMPORTANT to change the tape every day or every couple days while the chicks are young and growing fast.
To
remove the tape with the least amount of pain and damage to the chick\'s skin, rub a little baby oil on the tape as you\'re removing it; this will make the tape stop sticking. Before putting fresh tape on, rub the chick\'s legs with some antibacterial hand sanitizer (the kind that requires no water for washing) and it will clear off the baby oil.
2. Keep the chicks on the softest flooring possible.
I very much hope the chicks do alright!
