Best way to help a duckling born with splayed legs?

[PinkLadyLVT]

Just had 2 hatch, and one seems underdeveloped and unable to stand. She has splayed legs and seems to be struggling to get one of them underneath her. One splays straight back, one to the side but she can get the side one under her if she tries. It’s been 24 hours since she hatched so I’ve been doing stretches, spending time holding her with the legs held in the correct position, etc. and it is improving. Should I tape them together with a spacer bar like splay-legged chicks? I’m an LVT, hubby’s a DVM, so we’re trying to devise the best way to help her. I’ve been offering her food and water every hour to keep her strong since she can’t get to it on her own. She is the offspring of our favorite duck and came out SO CUTE, so she means a lot to us. TIA!

 

[cheezenkwackers]

Just had 2 hatch, and one seems underdeveloped and unable to stand. She has splayed legs and seems to be struggling to get one of them underneath her. One splays straight back, one to the side but she can get the side one under her if she tries. It’s been 24 hours since she hatched so I’ve been doing stretches, spending time holding her with the legs held in the correct position, etc. and it is improving. Should I tape them together with a spacer bar like splay-legged chicks? I’m an LVT, hubby’s a DVM, so we’re trying to devise the best way to help her. I’ve been offering her food and water every hour to keep her strong since she can’t get to it on her own. She is the offspring of our favorite duck and came out SO CUTE, so she means a lot to us. TIA!

I would tape them and then put her in a small container like an empty sour cream container (short one or cut down the sides of a tall one), lined with a paper towel, so her legs stay tucked. Depending how big she is, a tea cup might work too. Within a few hours you should see improvement.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Leg Hobbles to treat Splayed Leg
​

** Splayed Leg needs to be treated ASAP and consistently!


CAUTIONS for treatment: A young chick wearing Leg Hobbles can't get up easily or stand easily. It can fall & drown if it stumbles near a water container. See "Prevent Drowning in Water Dish" section.
KEEP IN MIND: You need to help a chick daily by gently scratching itchy spots that the Leg Hobbles prevent it from reaching with its feet. If you don't scratch places for the chick like the back of its neck where it cannot scratch itself, it will be pretty miserable and can develop a terribly itchy, swollen welt from lack of normal skin stimulation.



Splayed Leg (also called "Splay Leg", "Spraddle Leg", and "Straddle Leg") occurs when a newborn chick younger than a week old is having trouble learning to stand and walking. While experimenting, the chick starts rotating one or both legs outwards at an incorrect angle. The chick rotates the leg so that foot points mostly to the side instead of forwards, and the chick often becomes sort of "knock-kneed" because the hock on the rotated leg almost touches the other hock. This leg problem may look like a birth defect or deformity, but often it is not to begin with.

Photos of a chick with one form of Splayed Leg

The rotated foot slips a lot when the chick tries to use it that way, so the chick will shift most of its weight onto the other straighter leg & mostly use that to support itself while standing, hopping along, or pushing itself along the ground. The chick may also push a wing out against the ground to help balance itself.

The chick usually shows problems in only one leg at first (the most rotated leg), but the straighter leg will also become deformed over time.

{I don't know about anyone else but a visual always helps me }

 

[PinkLadyLVT]

Leg Hobbles to treat Splayed Leg​

​

** Splayed Leg needs to be treated ASAP and consistently!


CAUTIONS for treatment: A young chick wearing Leg Hobbles can't get up easily or stand easily. It can fall & drown if it stumbles near a water container. See "Prevent Drowning in Water Dish" section.
KEEP IN MIND: You need to help a chick daily by gently scratching itchy spots that the Leg Hobbles prevent it from reaching with its feet. If you don't scratch places for the chick like the back of its neck where it cannot scratch itself, it will be pretty miserable and can develop a terribly itchy, swollen welt from lack of normal skin stimulation.



Splayed Leg (also called "Splay Leg", "Spraddle Leg", and "Straddle Leg") occurs when a newborn chick younger than a week old is having trouble learning to stand and walking. While experimenting, the chick starts rotating one or both legs outwards at an incorrect angle. The chick rotates the leg so that foot points mostly to the side instead of forwards, and the chick often becomes sort of "knock-kneed" because the hock on the rotated leg almost touches the other hock. This leg problem may look like a birth defect or deformity, but often it is not to begin with.

Photos of a chick with one form of Splayed Leg

The rotated foot slips a lot when the chick tries to use it that way, so the chick will shift most of its weight onto the other straighter leg & mostly use that to support itself while standing, hopping along, or pushing itself along the ground. The chick may also push a wing out against the ground to help balance itself.

The chick usually shows problems in only one leg at first (the most rotated leg), but the straighter leg will also become deformed over time.

{I don't know about anyone else but a visual always helps me }

So this isn’t what she has. She isn’t knock-kneed. One hip is rotated back with one leg pointing straight back. I followed this guide initially and it resulted in creating a mermaid with BOTH legs straight back and the taped part laying flat behind her butt. I would guess because it’s a hip issue and because ducks are shaped differently. I’ll post a pic.

 

[PinkLadyLVT]

I would tape them and then put her in a small container like an empty sour cream container (short one or cut down the sides of a tall one), lined with a paper towel, so her legs stay tucked. Depending how big she is, a tea cup might work too. Within a few hours you should see improvement.

I did, and she just ends up a mermaid with both back behind her and the taped part laying behind her butt. I left it on for 8 hours and there is zero improvement, it’s now worse.

 

[PinkLadyLVT]

I put a towel in the enclosure to give her some grip with the one good foot, but the bad leg is not improving. It has been 3 days since she hatched now. See how it sticks straight back and is also rotated inward? Unfortunately I had to bath her rear half, she got feces caked on herself and her tail was stuck down.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yes keep checking for pasty butt. Can you feel along the back of the leg to make sure the tendon is in alignment go by the other leg.

 

[cheezenkwackers]

I did, and she just ends up a mermaid with both back behind her and the taped part laying behind her butt. I left it on for 8 hours and there is zero improvement, it’s now worse.

That was why she needed to be in a small container which would not allow her to get her legs behind her. You might try a sling chair. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...and-caring-for-the-special-needs-chick.72163/

 

[PinkLadyLVT]

She passed away. She had several issues going on and had labored breathing from the moment she hatched. Not unexpected but still heartbroken.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I’m so sorry