Fixing Splayed legs

[Peafowlssssssss]

This week 3 chicks hatched with splayed legs, i fixed them and they almost normal now, but i was wondering why it happened? They hatched in time, and last year i only had 4 or 5 chicks with splayed legs, Could it be from stopping the automatic turner early?

 

[frenchblackcopper]

How long was it between the egg first pipping and the peachick fully out of the egg? I imagine it took awhile,possibly longer than 24 hours?

 

[Peafowlssssssss]

How long was it between the egg first pipping and the peachick fully out of the egg? I imagine it took awhile,possibly longer than 24 hours?

Yeah, maybe 24 to 26 hours, but one of them hatched in less than 24 hours. And the last chick to hatch out of this group, was the only one with fine legs out of this 5 chicks.

 

[frenchblackcopper]

Splayed legs and crooked toes are associated with long pip to hatch times.All bones are very soft and pliable while the chick is still inside the egg but once outside air is introduced thru pipping the countdown starts. As time progresses the bones starts to stiffen up and become less and less pliable or bendable. I was told low humidity contributes to this as well especially after pipping has occured. Splayed legs I do not understand tho because while the chick is inside the egg the legs are under the peachick in a normal position. I would think the cartilage has not became strong enough or the muscles strong enough to keep the legs properly pulled under the chick Maybe the actual strength-health of the chick has more to do with splayed legs than crooked toes.

 

[Peafowlssssssss]

Splayed legs and crooked toes are associated with long pip to hatch times.All bones are very soft and pliable while the chick is still inside the egg but once outside air is introduced thru pipping the countdown starts. As time progresses the bones starts to stiffen up and become less and less pliable or bendable. I was told low humidity contributes to this as well especially after pipping has occured. Splayed legs I do not understand tho because while the chick is inside the egg the legs are under the peachick in a normal position. I would think the cartilage has not became strong enough or the muscles strong enough to keep the legs properly pulled under the chick Maybe the actual strength-health of the chick has more to do with splayed legs than crooked toes.

I do lowered the incubating humidity this year but for the last 3 days its still the same, its between 75-80%.

I will see which birds will produce chicks with splayed legs, last year they came from the same pen.

 

[IceAngel]

I tried the "hobble" and newspaper wrap for a little turkey chick but it kept rocking itself over on its side (even with the flat fold stapled). Watering was also problematic because I feared it would topple head first into the dish.

I then decided to just tape the chick's feet in proper position, to a flat piece of heavy cardboard. I sprinkled food all around it and placed the water within reach. This way it could exercise its legs muscles without falling over as well as eat and drink. The bad part was that the chick couldn't get away from other chicks that were trying to peck it. I isolated it but it peeped and peeped for its buddies and I was afraid if I kept him separated too long they wouldn't accept him as part of the flock. This might be a good method if you had more than one chick so that they could keep each other company.

So then I decided to hobble it with two tiny elastics that I hooked together into a figure 8. (you know the real tiny elastics used for childrens hair or at pet grooming salons). This way the chick could hop away when others were trying to peck it and it could right itself when it fell over. This worked amazingly well. The chick did topple over a lot but because its legs were elasticized together they couldn't splay apart and it got better at balancing and righting itself by the end of the day. Btw, I also put more pebbles into the watering dish in case it toppled over while trying to drink. The next day it was so good at walking/hopping with the elastics on its legs that I could hardly tell which chick it was. I am going to leave the elastics on his legs for the rest of the week because I don't know how long it takes for the hip ligaments to tighten up.

 

[zazouse]

I tried the "hobble" and newspaper wrap for a little turkey chick but it kept rocking itself over on its side (even with the flat fold stapled). Watering was also problematic because I feared it would topple head first into the dish.

I then decided to just tape the chick's feet in proper position, to a flat piece of heavy cardboard. I sprinkled food all around it and placed the water within reach. This way it could exercise its legs muscles without falling over as well as eat and drink. The bad part was that the chick couldn't get away from other chicks that were trying to peck it. I isolated it but it peeped and peeped for its buddies and I was afraid if I kept him separated too long they wouldn't accept him as part of the flock. This might be a good method if you had more than one chick so that they could keep each other company.

So then I decided to hobble it with two tiny elastics that I hooked together into a figure 8. (you know the real tiny elastics used for childrens hair or at pet grooming salons). This way the chick could hop away when others were trying to peck it and it could right itself when it fell over. This worked amazingly well. The chick did topple over a lot but because its legs were elasticized together they couldn't splay apart and it got better at balancing and righting itself by the end of the day. Btw, I also put more pebbles into the watering dish in case it toppled over while trying to drink. The next day it was so good at walking/hopping with the elastics on its legs that I could hardly tell which chick it was. I am going to leave the elastics on his legs for the rest of the week because I don't know how long it takes for the hip ligaments to tighten up.

Sounds great i wondered about rubber bands once never tried it, thanks for sharing this i will try it next time i get a chick like this. I do have a question my babies have tiny legs how do you keep the rubber bands from falling off? even the tinest rubber bands i have would seem big

 

[KsKingBee]

Splayed legs and crooked toes are associated with long pip to hatch times.All bones are very soft and pliable while the chick is still inside the egg but once outside air is introduced thru pipping the countdown starts. As time progresses the bones starts to stiffen up and become less and less pliable or bendable. I was told low humidity contributes to this as well especially after pipping has occured. Splayed legs I do not understand tho because while the chick is inside the egg the legs are under the peachick in a normal position. I would think the cartilage has not became strong enough or the muscles strong enough to keep the legs properly pulled under the chick Maybe the actual strength-health of the chick has more to do with splayed legs than crooked toes.

I am wondering if the splayed leg is normally the same one that the chick uses to pull itself out of the egg? Could the stress of pulling on that one leg damage the hip?

I have been using your 'burrito' method, but instead of paper I am using the top of an old sock. On this last one I put shoes on the curled toes, reached through the tube sock, held the chick with the legs tucked into the proper position, pulled the tube down around my hand, folded the other half of the tube over and pulled my hand out. Then tape the two ends snug and put the little bundle of joy in a little basket so it remained upright.

Then it was put back into the hatcher. The next day I removed it and it looked like this.



Then later that afternoon I removed the shoes.



The back toe isn't perfect, but overall it looks a lot better than flopping around on its back.
Thanks FBC of the inspiration, you have helped a lot of chicks, mine included!

 

[Peafowlssssssss]

For me the back toe is the easier to fix, i just tie it with the leg and then i just leave it for a day.

This guy had his back toe tied, you could leave your chick rest for a day or two then you could make him a new shoe for his left leg, his left toe on the left leg still needs correction.

 

[KsKingBee]

For me the back toe is the easier to fix, i just tie it with the leg and then i just leave it for a day.

This guy had his back toe tied, you could leave your chick rest for a day or two then you could make him a new shoe for his left leg, his left toe on the left leg still needs correction.

Great advice Q8! Do you think it is too late or can I still do it on this one? It has been out of the shell since the 17th and today is the 21st.