2 day keet splayed legs + chick just hatched advise

[C Siena]

We have a keet that is just 2 days old with splayed legs, seems mostly the right. I did not take her out of the incubator until she was about 28 hours old. I have been reading a lot today and earlier this afternoon, I put a cloth on the floor instead of paper towel and she began to move more, not great but a little better movement.

I have also had her in my hand for about 4 min, with a little support and she was standing better. I've done this 3 times so far. She does push up to stand.

I tried to place a bandaid on/between her legs to no avail, boy can they squirm and kick legs. I had to cut it in half as she is sooo small. I may try this again.

More reading and decided to try corrugated cardboard as flooring about 20 minutes ago and she has better grip.

Questions: Should I try to place her in a glass for 15 min or longer at a time, a few times a day? Or leave her in it longer, checking on her every 20 min?

Should I try to hobble her legs? I'll need help and my husband will do so. We have more and better bandaids and also vet wrap.

Big question, we just had a bantam chick hatch about 11:30am, still in the incubator. I didn't think it wise to place the chick with the keet, due to the leg situation of the keet. No more will hatch and I can make another box for the chick when I take her out. Do you members advise to keep them separate for a time as I try to help the keet strengthen legs?

The keet is eating and drinking. The heat is about 92 at the warmest spot. And did I say, yes, golly are keets Small, but adorable.

 

[C Siena]

This wood is what my husband cut to add last night. We had her in the alley about 30 minutes, 2 times before bed. Her legs cannot go out to the side. She seems well, maybe a little better. She's back in the alley now and I'll leave her for about 45 minutes. After that, standing in my hand for 5 min. Should I try to tape her legs?

 

[C Siena]

@R2elk and @Gill-b Can either of you help me? This chick was hatched Wed afternoon and it took about 20-21 hours after the second pip, neither of which were at the air sac.

 

[TwoCrows]

I moved this thread to our Guinea forum for more help. Best wishes with this little one!

 

[TwoCrows]

@R2elk can you help?

 

[C Siena]

I moved this thread to our Guinea forum for more help. Best wishes with this little one!

Thank you so much. I was thinking of reposting in ER, injuries etc. Little one is a little better.

 

[R2elk]

We have a keet that is just 2 days old with splayed legs, seems mostly the right. I did not take her out of the incubator until she was about 28 hours old. I have been reading a lot today and earlier this afternoon, I put a cloth on the floor instead of paper towel and she began to move more, not great but a little better movement.

I have also had her in my hand for about 4 min, with a little support and she was standing better. I've done this 3 times so far. She does push up to stand.

I tried to place a bandaid on/between her legs to no avail, boy can they squirm and kick legs. I had to cut it in half as she is sooo small. I may try this again.

More reading and decided to try corrugated cardboard as flooring about 20 minutes ago and she has better grip.

Questions: Should I try to place her in a glass for 15 min or longer at a time, a few times a day? Or leave her in it longer, checking on her every 20 min?

Should I try to hobble her legs? I'll need help and my husband will do so. We have more and better bandaids and also vet wrap.

Big question, we just had a bantam chick hatch about 11:30am, still in the incubator. I didn't think it wise to place the chick with the keet, due to the leg situation of the keet. No more will hatch and I can make another box for the chick when I take her out. Do you members advise to keep them separate for a time as I try to help the keet strengthen legs?

The keet is eating and drinking. The heat is about 92 at the warmest spot. And did I say, yes, golly are keets Small, but adorable.

I use 3/4" wide Scotch tape. I cut it in half lengthwise so that it is 3/8" wide. I use a strip that is long enough to keep the legs from spreading any farther than the width of the body. I put the tape around one leg and stick it back to itself and then around the other leg and stick it back to itself between the legs. The distance the legs are apart is about 1". You don't want to pull them in too close together or it won't be able to walk.

I use Scotch tape because by the time the keet is walking well, the tape is coming off on its own.

I wouldn't keep the Bantam chick with it because of the problems that imprinting can cause once they are adults. If you don't care about the imprinting problems you can go ahead and put them together.

I did not remove a keet with taped legs from the remaining keets.

Good luck.

 

[C Siena]

I use 3/4" wide Scotch tape. I cut it in half lengthwise so that it is 3/8" wide. I use a strip that is long enough to keep the legs from spreading any farther than the width of the body. I put the tape around one leg and stick it back to itself and then around the other leg and stick it back to itself between the legs. The distance the legs are apart is about 1". You don't want to pull them in too close together or it won't be able to walk.

I use Scotch tape because by the time the keet is walking well, the tape is coming off on its own.

I wouldn't keep the Bantam chick with it because of the problems that imprinting can cause once they are adults. If you don't care about the imprinting problems you can go ahead and put them together.

I did not remove a keet with taped legs from the remaining keets.

Good luck.

Thank you for the information. I just arrived home from Holy Mass/Church (little over an hour from home). I read you response and appreciate it. This morning the keet was going back and forth over the wood, in/out of our homemade alley (post #2). While in the narrow alley, her legs cannot flare out. When I checked on her at 4, she is walking almost normal. She has been going forward and backward in the alley pecking at food, giving herself exercise and holding her weight.

It was my husband's idea as I was having difficulty with the bandaid not sticking to itself. Between the alley and her exercise in my hand, we may have it licked. I may still tape her legs, depending on what I view this afternoon/tonight.

We only hatched 1 keet, 1 bantam chick and I don't know what the Mennonite family will do with 1 of each. I will probably keep them until they are 2 weeks as you suggested in another post, due to they do not have electric but will use a wood stove for heat.

Shame they are alone in separate boxes. The other 10 eggs I was given were infertile.

My, both are so small. Thank you again and next time I will try scotch tape instead of a bandaid.

 

[C Siena]

I wouldn't keep the Bantam chick with it because of the problems that imprinting can cause once they are adults. If you don't care about the imprinting problems you can go ahead and put them together.

I did not remove a keet with taped legs from the remaining keets.

As you are very familiar with guinea/keet; do keets typically have a sweet temperament? This single keet is very active (legs much better), seems inquisitive and content. The bantam chick is almost non stop chirping, pecks (my hands, fingers) in an aggressive manner and trying to jump out of the box. The temp is 89ish and eating. I haven't seen it drink but the water level went down. I thought lonely and placed a small stuffed animal in the box, chick jumped on it to try to jump out. That was smart. I'm changing to a higher sided box.

To see if the chick was just lonely, I put her in with the keet. I was not going to leave them together but thought 10 minutes. Within 2-3 minutes, the chick slowly walked to the keet (keet making very quiet sounds, like a chirp but not the same and soft). The chick pecked at the keet's face, paused 1 sec and began again. I quickly removed the chick. It really appeared to be aggressive. I have only raised 7 clutches and no 2 day old chick behaved this way. Any ideas?

Also would you tape the legs of the keet if it is walking normal and active?
Thank you for sharing your wealth of information. This keet is adorable. No, I'm not going to begin a guinea flock...yet.

 

[R2elk]

Also would you tape the legs of the keet if it is walking normal and active?

If it is walking normal, I would not tape its legs.

It often only takes a couple of days to cure splay leg in a keet.

As you are very familiar with guinea/keet; do keets typically have a sweet temperament?

Keets can be very protective and caring for each other. Like most birds they imprint easily. When in the brooder I have not seen them to be aggressive at all. That doesn't really happen until later when they make up for their lack of aggression in a big hurry.

The bantam chick is almost non stop chirping, pecks (my hands, fingers) in an aggressive manner and trying to jump out of the box. The temp is 89ish and eating. I haven't seen it drink but the water level went down. I thought lonely and placed a small stuffed animal in the box, chick jumped on it to try to jump out. That was smart. I'm changing to a higher sided box.

People have put a feather duster in the brooder . Little ones like to crawl into the feathers like they would crawl under a hen.

To see if the chick was just lonely, I put her in with the keet. I was not going to leave them together but thought 10 minutes. Within 2-3 minutes, the chick slowly walked to the keet (keet making very quiet sounds, like a chirp but not the same and soft). The chick pecked at the keet's face, paused 1 sec and began again. I quickly removed the chick. It really appeared to be aggressive. I have only raised 7 clutches and no 2 day old chick behaved this way. Any ideas?

Some species are much more aggressive than others are. I have seen very young chicks square off into their battles. At that age it usually isn't any more than chest bumping.

As far as "pecking at the keet's face", it is not uncommon for little ones to peck at another little one's beak area and pick off and eat any food specks that might be there.