My first chick shipment just arrived a couple of hours ago, and I've been busy getting everyone settled and seeing if anyone needs extra attention. I ended up with several D'Uccle bantams at the last minute -- boy, are they tiny! The tiniest of them has really widely spread legs, to the point that it keeps getting knocked on its bottom by the other chicks. It can walk, but only awkwardly. Is this a minor case of spraddle leg, or is it just new chick awkwardness? I've looked at the info. on spraddle on BYC, but those photos show chicks with legs completely to the side, which this little one doesn't have..... Here's another one with wide legs (not as bad as the one above): Should I do something for these little ones, or do they just need to grow into themselves? I'm most concerned about the one in the top photo, he keeps getting knocked on his bum and has trouble getting around the brooder because of it.
For now I've isolated both of them in the "invalid" brooder, if only to let them have a night of peace without getting bumped around by the bigger chicks. They are both pretty weak, I wonder if they're going to make it.....
It doesn't look spraddled to me, just maybe weak. Could have gotten trampled a bit in shipment. Good idea to isolate. Did you put anything in the water? You could use the chick electrolyte stuff, i think it's called Quick Chick, or Avia Charge 2000. A drop of Polyvisol baby vitamins (without iron) a couple times a day would help. Hard boiled egg or some scrambled eggs mashed up would be good.
I did get them to drink electrolyte/vitamin water, but I lost one this morning and the other one's not looking good. I think they may've gotten smooshed in shipment, they were in the same box as a few standards and several larger bantams. They were a last-minute replacement due to bad hatches, and if I'd had any idea how small they would be I never would've agreed to them. I'm kicking myself now, but these are my first chicks and I didn't know any better....
