The 8-month-old chick, from the colony at Taiaroa Head, suffered a leg injury some time between checks on Monday and 3pm on Tuesday.
Staff at Taiaroa Head discovered the 10kg chick's right foot was at a "funny angle" when they did their monthly check and weigh-in of the colony's chicks on Tuesday afternoon.
Department of Conservation biodiversity assets programme manager David Agnew said it was thought the injury might have been the result of the chick's foot becoming entangled in a native vine near its nest as it tested its legs in preparation for fledging.
St Kilda veterinarian Tony Malthus was consulted and the chick, which otherwise was in good health, was administered a dose of anti-inflammatory medicine.
On Wednesday morning, the chick was brought into Mr Malthus' clinic and assessed, only for it to be found the damage, either a dislocation or break, was possibly high on the femur near the hip joint, Mr Agnew said.
Given the height of the damage on the leg, it was felt the chick needed to go to Massey where staff were experienced and skilled in dealing with wild birds, he said.
"They have the best equipment and ability, so it has the best chance of survival."
It survived its first flight in good condition and was X-rayed yesterday, revealing its femur was broken.
Today, the team at Massey planned to operate on the chick, pinning the femur bone, in a procedure never before attempted on an albatross.
The chick would then be sent back to Taiaroa Head to heal and to continue being fed by its parents, but would need to have the pins removed before fledging.
The chick had a month before it was due to leave the colony by itself, so it was important for it to continue to be fed by its parents until then, he said.
If its parents found it gone, they would not return to feed it and it would have to be given supplementary feed.
Nineteen chicks have survived from the 32 eggs which were laid in the colony last November.
