Helping chickens out of their egg.

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darcysh

darcysh

In the Brooder
Feb 6, 2015
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Hello

I have just hatched 2 silkies and 1 Isa brown cross leghorn. I had to help a silkie out of the egg because it hadn't made any progress 12 hours later. It still can't walk and one leg is out the side. Does any one have any ideas as to what to do with this chicken?

 
It looks like it has spraddle leg and it's something you need to fix as soon as possible. The longer it continues the harder it is to treat. Here is an article on it ~https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-to-fix-spraddle-leg

I would also recomend you take them off the news paper straight away. News paper is slippy and they can't get a good grip on it. Having them on news paper can cause spraddle leg. I would replace with shavings (not cedar). If you dont have shavings you can use kitchen towel/paper or shelf liner. This should give them more grip.

Good luck with your chick :fl
 
Typically, helping a chicken out of the egg isn't such a good idea. However, if you found it necessary, then okay :)
In my country we call it "split-legs", and making a crutch using a straw and rubberband can often help the situation, in about one week.
You can see this video, from a member of my local community.
 
Hello
Are you able to send us a picture of what it looks like please.
smile.png
 
Thankyou for your advice. I have only hatched chickens a few times before so am still getting used to it.
 
Can I ask, when you say "it hadn't made any progress 12 hours later", was it 12 hours after the first external pip? Was there any blood when you were helping? Here's some pics on what you need to do for this chick. You can cut a band aid in half lengthwise and put the cushion part in the middle and wrap the sticky parts around the legs or you can use vet tape if you have it. The vet tape is the best, especially with silkies because it won't rip their feathers when you take it off. If you use the band aid, just use baby oil when you take it off so it doesn't rip the feathers. That leg is pretty severe so you might have to take it off after a few days and replace it. And as it was already stated, the chicks can't be on newspaper, it will make it worse.
400

400

Eta: make sure to do it ASAP, the sooner the better. And then check to see how it looks after about 5 days. Make sure the chick can walk ok with the tape on and keep marbles in the water so the chick can't fall in and drown.
 
Last edited:
RubyNala97 said:
Can I ask, when you say "it hadn't made any progress 12 hours later", was it 12 hours after the first external pip? Was there any blood when you were helping? Here's some pics on what you need to do for this chick. You can cut a band aid in half lengthwise and put the cushion part in the middle and wrap the sticky parts around the legs or you can use vet tape if you have it. The vet tape is the best, especially with silkies because it won't rip their feathers when you take it off. If you use the band aid, just use baby oil when you take it off so it doesn't rip the feathers. That leg is pretty severe so you might have to take it off after a few days and replace it. And as it was already stated, the chicks can't be on newspaper, it will make it worse.


Eta: make sure to do it ASAP, the sooner the better. And then check to see how it looks after about 5 days. Make sure the chick can walk ok with the tape on and keep marbles in the water so the chick can't fall in and drown.
Click to expand...
xs 2. Many chicks don't "make progress" for 24 hours. Mine actually average between 12-18 hours overall.
 
Sorry

It had piped and over night it hadn't done any more and the next morning we could see it was having trouble. I got 16 eggs and only 3 hatched. Unless something to do with incubator
 

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