Do splayed legs ever fix by themself?

[SusanJoM]

Okay, I've looked at the pictures and read about this splinting and I'm still not quite sure whether the legs need to be splinted closer to the body or closer to the foot.

Can someone clarify this for me?

Thanks

Susan

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

LOL I know. I had my husband hold the chick & then I did the wrapping of it's little legs as it screamed bloody murder, LOL

 

[jeaucamom]

We just had a standard size chick hatch, but it was as small as a bantam chick and it had splayed legs. We tried the bandaids and tried medical tape and the poor thing just could NOT walk no matter how hard it tried and it was very distressed. We wound up putting it in a box on a towel backed up into a corner with a very shallow food and water dish right in front of it. Finally after 3-4 days, it started moving almost normally and not it is teetering around with the rest. It is still VERY small and it doesn't walk normally, but it is able to move around just fine.

In our case though, I think there is something wrong with it's joints at the hips. It just doesn't have a full range of motion and it's hips always have stuck out from the abdomen at a weird angle.

 

[Must Be Losing It]

Susan,

I ahve found that just getting them around the legs is tough enough, I cannot imagine trying to be specific about placement, but I'm sure someone will correct me on this.

My baby's leg irons are lower toward her feet only because I couldn't get them on any higher as no one was around to help me.

Julie

 

[SusanJoM]

Thanks, Julie.
I'm also gonna have to wrestle the little critter by myself. I just stopped and picked up bandaids. The picture seems to show the bandaid down by the feet anyway, so....that's probably where it will end up.

I'll letcha know.

Susan

 

[LuannKeller]

I always do it right away. The first few days are sleeping days and they don't require food and water so it is great to strap them in and put them in a little box in the brooder so they sleep during the worst experience of their life. I do get them out a few times each day and snuggle them and offer food and water. You have to be careful about water - they can easy drown while strapped in.

If you do it right away it has a great success rate unless the leg issue is the result of genetics or nutrition.

 

[Must Be Losing It]

Oh, and Susan, I put polyvisol (or baby vitamins) in her water so if its nutrition related I can work on that at the same time.

J

 

[cjeanean]

I got a shipment of chicks just Tuesday, and one of them had splayed legs. I put some shelf liner stuff (from wal-mart) in the brooder and the legs fixed themselves. All the chick needed was a leghold, something to get a grip on. Good luck!

 

[Must Be Losing It]

Hmmm, I have some of that in my camper. Maybe I'll steal some from there for the chick.

 

[Wildsky]

Yeah, do it sooner..... My little chick took only 24 hours for her legs to get straightened after putting the splint on, she also had a funny foot and ankle - so walking was difficult for a while for her.... she's the fastest chicken on the block now!