[b]SPLAYED LEGS!!, When to Brick or Not to Brick?[/b]

[brimstone555]

Hi All..

What is CAUSE of Splayed Legs, How to 100% PREVENT!! I have a Small Chick with Splayed Legs

, Tried Taping but Legs are Permanently Buckled!

I'm probably gonna put it out of it's Misery

besides Other chicks really pecking it's Exposed Toes!! ... But My point is if I new "How to prevent this occuring" I would have Tried Anything if I Knew how!...or even Put out of Misery Day 1! I think it's bad enough to have to antisipate Hatching or Not. Any ADVICE is Really Welcome,

 

[ladyride]

here is a link I hope will help http://api.viglink.com/api/click?fo...&txt=http://www.poultryhelp.com/spraddle.html

 

[NewToFarming]

I have a 5 month old roo that had terrible spraddle leg as a chick that now runs as well as the rest of the roos today. It can be fixed most times with some work. I would make him stand on those legs with help of course several times a day until his muscles developed more to be able to support his weight. I didn't think he was going to make it but he did. I think what had caused his was he was too big for his shell and squished in there too tightly.
I found the tape, etc. didn't help him at all either. I would make him stand in correct position and it seemed to work for him.

 

[Pele]

I'm sorry to hear about your little one. Spraddle is caused by the chick not being able to have enough traction when it's legs are new and bendy, or more rarely by deformity while growing in the egg. If it is allowed to get too bad, it will eventually result in the chick's death.

You can fix spraddle by creating a tiny hobble for the chick, from you post it sounded like you were focusing on the toes, not the legs.

Here is an excellent image of a hobble I found on GoogleImages (sorry to anyone who's picture this is, I'm not making a profit from it):

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/22826_spraddle_fix.jpg

Most people have luck with bandaids, but I prefer electrical tape as that is stronger and less likely to fall off. The goal is to orient the legs under the chick until it's own muscles can hold them. Your chick may look ridiculous, and have some trouble walking with the hobble, but it's better than not walking at all.

Good luck and I hope your chick gets better!

PS. Leave the tape on until the chick gets better, don't take it off after a few days and think he's a lost cause. It may take more time than you think.

 

[Anianna]

If it's still a chick, you have a chance of curing the splayed legs with a hobble. See the Poultry Podiatry page for more information in addition to the links others have provided.

For future reference, chicks need good traction. Do not transport or keep them on cardboard or newspapers as these surfaces are slippery, which can result in splayed legs. Use textured paper towels (like Bounty or Brawny types) or use pine litter or pine pellets. Many BYCers use paper towels for a few days for the youngest chickies and then switch to litter or pellets once they are a few days to a week old. This will go a long way to prevent splayed legs, but it's hard to say if it is 100%.

 

[brimstone555]

THANKYOU to ALL with your Advice & Links Great Advice & appreciated. From reading all information, I realize 'Splayed feet' is most likely caused by Poor Traction from 1st Hatching. This makes Sense as my incubator was completely Overcrowed with Eggs! & no space till I removed them... Also I used a Rubber Floor that time but it was Slippery & Smooth!

So in All Future hatches I will use Perferated Paper Towels 1st few days! BTW, I can appreciate trying to Repair Splayed Legs, For Chickens this is really Feasible, But I have Japanese quails no bigger than a twenty cent piece, Hence Cause & Prevention is so important for me to Know... Out of 42 eggs I hatched 19 chicks with 4 having splayed Legs! I lost them all over 1st 3 days...sob, 1 was my only Black one from Hatch, I was even giving it water & trying to put Crushed Food with dropper into mouth! (too small mouth for dropper!) I really Liked THIS Bird.. so I was P**sed about that!! Anyway my homemade incubator will have to Hold a few dozen Less Eggs Next time! Thankyou Everyone, it's been a SHarP Learning Curve!

...AND? I'm still Learning... byeee