A splay, maybe a tendon issue?

[Kirsten118]

Hello!
I just did a hatch of coturnix quail. This has been my most successful to date both in terms of hatch percentage, and because as I come up on the two week point, I haven't lost anyone. During the hatch I had a couple with kind of funny legs- I go the vet wrap and shot glass route, and even though one still kicks out to the side at random times, everyone is sorted out and growing and looking good. Except for one. She is eating and drinking and feathering like everyone else, and initially the wrap seemed to help. I'd leave her in the cup for a while and then let her walk on her own, and she'd keep her feet under her, but in the last two days she is back to army crawling like she did initially out of the incubator. I have my brooder lined with shelf liner, so I don't think that the issue is slipping. Just one of her legs seems significantly weaker, and almost less able to bend? Sometimes it seems like it wants to bend the wrong way, or like her foot is just fully turned out. In the past I have either corrected splays or lost them very early on, so I'm unsure what to do at this point. She's nearly two weeks old and has a survival instinct, but I know that living on her belly is unsustainable. Anyone have any tricks? Also, I have read other posts about slipped tendons, but I don't really feel clear on how to diagnose that.

 

[Kiki]

Can you post clear photos of this chick standing on it's own? If not what about a video of how it's moving around?

 

[Kirsten118]

Unfortunately she didn't make it, which was sad, but at least it seemed like her period of really struggling was pretty short (she was still very active until about 12 hours before she died).

 

[Charlie Wooster]

I make these little corrective braces, had 3 splayed legs this last hatch and 2/3 straightened right up, one didn’t.. but they are very simple to make and apply.. I can go into detail if you like.. it’s worth a try, I’ve saved mostly chickens and now some quails legs/lives..

 

[Nabiki]

I make these little corrective braces, had 3 splayed legs this last hatch and 2/3 straightened right up, one didn’t.. but they are very simple to make and apply.. I can go into detail if you like.. it’s worth a try, I’ve saved mostly chickens and now some quails legs/lives..

I'd be interested in knowing how you make them, and more importantly, how you get them on. I have to do these kinds of things by myself. Can it be done with one person?

 

[Charlie Wooster]

I'd be interested in knowing how you make them, and more importantly, how you get them on. I have to do these kinds of things by myself. Can it be done with one person?

Absolutely I’m a one man operation.. let me get the things together to make it easier to understand and I’ll grab a chick and take some better pictures.. I have trouble posting pictures, it takes forever and when people reply it slows it down even more. I live in the boonies and have bad cell service.. no internet.. so I will make a seperate post I guess..