Bad case of Splayed leg!!! Need advice!!

[olijo123]

I just had two baby turkeys hatch in my incubator yesterday. One is fine, but the other one hatched with his legs going behind him. It’s like he can’t put his legs underneath him. I’ve tried the typical things, like bandaid and hair tie ideas, but it hasn’t helped.His legs aren’t actually spraddled out, but they go behind him and not in front of him. I really need help for this lil guy. (I’ve included two pics, the first is how he naturally lays, and the second is how he looks when I set his legs beneath him.) Thanks!!

 

[Eggcessive]

I would use some chicken vitamins with riboflavin, or crush 1/4 tablet daily of vitamin B complex daily. Also, you can try placing her in a padded heavy cup to teach her to stand. A chick chair may be useful as well for periods of time. He is a sweet little poult. Here are some pictures throughout this thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/versions-of-chick-chairs-please.1166308/

 

[Eggcessive]

 

[olijo123]

Thank you for the suggestion! I currently have the turk baby in a padded cup. So far looking good! It’s trying to use its legs and is in a normal position, so I’m hoping this well help. I will get the vitamins tomorrow.

 

[Eggcessive]

For tonight, you can give it a little egg yolk and a tiny bit of yogurt for some B vitamins.

 

[olijo123]

Ok, so I tried giving baby Turk some egg yolk last night, but he didn’t show any interest. That could have been because he absorbed enough nutrients before hatching, so he still isn’t quite hungry. This morning I tried to see if he could stand on his own, but still can’t. There is a little progress, but not a lot. How long could this take???

 

[Eggcessive]

By now the poult should be eating and drinking. You might put it down on the floor of the brooder to let it try to eat on it’s own. Offer fluids, wet feed with egg, and sprinkle a few crumbles on paper towel. If it doesn’t start eating or improving in a day or two, I would consider putting it down. Of course, that is up to you, and it is always a hard decision. I stopped hatching chicks in a incubator a long time ago because I had a couple who never could stay upright. Humidity and temperature fluctuations can cause a lot of problems. Broody hatched chicks are a lot easier to manage.

 

[R2elk]

Ok, so I tried giving baby Turk some egg yolk last night, but he didn’t show any interest. That could have been because he absorbed enough nutrients before hatching, so he still isn’t quite hungry. This morning I tried to see if he could stand on his own, but still can’t. There is a little progress, but not a lot. How long could this take???

I had one last year like this. The legs issue was due to being helped out of the shell before it was ready. It was a unique circumstance but the yolk had already been absorbed. They really do need the exercise of pushing themselves out of the shell but in this case the shell got broken and the poult was removed to allow it a chance to live.

It required putting the poult in a container for two days before it was able to stand on its own. It eventually reached the point that it could not be distinguished from the other 11 poults it was raised with.

 

[Eggcessive]

That is really good to hear @R2elk, and makes it sound hopeful.