Do splayed legs ever fix by themself?

[mattman1978]

Ok, I came up with a GREAT way to treat Splay legs in chicks. A while back we had a Mille Fluer D'uccle with splay and we did the band-aid treatment. It worked and he's doing great now, but it was a pain. Some band-aids would come off too easily anytime he got under the brooder light too much (I think the warming of the glue would loosen it). Other band-aids would stick too well to the feathers on his leg and so removing it would pull some feathers, no matter how careful you were. Taking too much time to carefully remove it stresses the bird and I don't think that's in anybody's best interest.

Well, we just hatched out a beautiful blue silkie chick, I found it in the hatcher this morning. It's splay. Well, I had been thinking about how to "band" chicks when they hatch to identify them as they grow and zip ties was a common suggestion. Of course you have to clip and redo them as the bird grows. Anyhow, I looked around and found some VERY tiny zip ties in different colors for this purpose on newly hatched chicks. Then, we had our splay'd chick hatch out. I put the two ideas together. I took one small zip tie, tied some dental floss around it very close to the big end. I put it on one leg. Got it tight enough it won't come off or slide up, but loose enough I bet it could stay on for a week. I looped the dental floss around the other zip tie very close to the big end and put it around the other leg and adjusted the length of dental floss to the right length and tied it off. I used some very close cutting wire "nippers" to trim the zip ties very close so they won't cut or annoy the chick. Done. I put him down and he's up and walking right away! Now, I don't know about anybody else, but if I can avoid pulling out feathers on the chicks legs, and if I can have something that is secure and stays in place for days at a time, I think I've found a winner! If you agree, go ahead and prepare by purchasing some small zip ties. Everyone should have string or dental floss.

 

[Turkeytruff]

please can you let me know what the 'worse' problem was? I have a 2 day old chick that doesn't seem to know how to extend and put her weight on her legs. I have put a band aid on before going to work but I think, looking at this, that it's too short and I need to lengthen it. What can I do to make it put it's weight on the actual feet? I have been practicing with it's head on my finger and have been hand feeding and syringing water into it. I think it got trampled in the transit box and somehow has the message to 'bum' around....

 

[casportpony]

Can you post a picture?

-Kathy

 

[Turkeytruff]

She/he doesn't put ANY weight on her legs. I can't get a proper pix because she basically bulldozes along and flips over sideways. I'm now

wondering if I should narrow the between strip..

 

[PoultryPedia]

The "Physical Therapy" section on the Poultry Podiatry page on the site linked in my sig below explains some treatment that would probably really help your chick.

Question--When the chick stands, does it put the little inner toe back behind the foot to help support the foot? Looking at photo #1, I wondered if the chick might have Duck Foot???

The Band-aid looks like a good length to me, though you may find the chick has specific traits that warrant adjusting the length of the Band-aid, but the length you've been using looks pretty good to me. I'd try to keep it sticking down low as much as possible on this chick, since it looks like the chick tends to spread out its feet too much in relation to its hocks.

Thanks for posting photos!

 

[casportpony]

@SpeckledHills , do you think something like a chick donut or sling might help?

-Kathy

 

[Turkeytruff]

The "Physical Therapy" section on the Poultry Podiatry page on the site linked in my sig below explains some treatment that would probably really help your chick.

Question--When the chick stands, does it put the little inner toe back behind the foot to help support the foot? Looking at photo #1, I wondered if the chick might have Duck Foot???

The Band-aid looks like a good length to me, though you may find the chick has specific traits that warrant adjusting the length of the Band-aid, but the length you've been using looks pretty good to me. I'd try to keep it sticking down low as much as possible on this chick, since it looks like the chick tends to spread out its feet too much in relation to its hocks.

Thanks for posting photos!

@SpeckledHills , do you think something like a chick donut or sling might help?

-Kathy

thank you, speckled hills, and casportpony, for your suggestions! This morning I reduced the length between the legs. What do you mean by duck feet? I am aware that he / she has puffy feet and never really plants them down.
Trying to put a picture - hopefully can get through later... off to work!

 

[Turkeytruff]

The "Physical Therapy" section on the Poultry Podiatry page on the site linked in my sig below explains some treatment that would probably really help your chick.

Question--When the chick stands, does it put the little inner toe back behind the foot to help support the foot? Looking at photo #1, I wondered if the chick might have Duck Foot???

The Band-aid looks like a good length to me, though you may find the chick has specific traits that warrant adjusting the length of the Band-aid, but the length you've been using looks pretty good to me. I'd try to keep it sticking down low as much as possible on this chick, since it looks like the chick tends to spread out its feet too much in relation to its hocks.

Thanks for posting photos!

thanks, I just found out what Duck foot is - as this chick doesn't want to put it's feet down at all I can't really tell, although one does look a little 'off to one side'. I have been trying supporting its head and encouraging it to 'walk' about 6 times today. But although it is drinking (from a syringe) it is not eating so I think its days/ hours are numbered I managed to get those multivitamin drops from Walmart (up here in Canada they are $16) and got some of that down it, for the niacin.

We also made an eggcarton chair for it to sit in with an upgoing piece to support its head on - but that didn't really work. Now have a paper towel lined and well padded plastic pot that I am sitting it in, to see if it can get used to being upright a bit more at least. Poor little guy...

 

[casportpony]

I usually recommend tube feeding larger birds and if the chick were mine I would tube it. To tube it you would need a pretty small tube, like an 8 french, which you might at a vets office. You could also try force feeding it small crickets or bits of egg.

-Kathy

 

[PoultryPedia]

It sounds like this little chick has some serious challenges. I wish the best for you & think it's great you are seeing what you can do for it.