Wanted to give an alternative idea to taping the chicks legs in treating spraddle leg. I have two chicks that each had one very slightly spraddled leg. It wasn't bad and might well have not needed treatment, but I always choose to treat it for a few days.
I've never found taping the legs to be very easy, especially with feather legged chicks like my silkies. I came up with 2 alternatives and the pictures are below.
In the first are white legs bands for chicks. You can find these online. They are the kind that unroll and roll onto the chicks legs. The second are small elastic bands also used for banding chicks.
It's pretty self explanatory with the pics, but basically you make a hobble and then put it on the chick. I really prefer the elastic bands because they are much easier to make and put on the chick but both work equally well. You do need to remember to check them a couple of times a day for tightness and remove them after 4-5 days.
The one chick has a very slightly rolled outer toe so it's also wearing magic shoes. They will come off tomorrow. They just run around the brooder just like the other chicks.
I've never found taping the legs to be very easy, especially with feather legged chicks like my silkies. I came up with 2 alternatives and the pictures are below.
In the first are white legs bands for chicks. You can find these online. They are the kind that unroll and roll onto the chicks legs. The second are small elastic bands also used for banding chicks.
It's pretty self explanatory with the pics, but basically you make a hobble and then put it on the chick. I really prefer the elastic bands because they are much easier to make and put on the chick but both work equally well. You do need to remember to check them a couple of times a day for tightness and remove them after 4-5 days.
The one chick has a very slightly rolled outer toe so it's also wearing magic shoes. They will come off tomorrow. They just run around the brooder just like the other chicks.
