Fixing Splayed legs

[MinxFox]

This is so cute, but very valuable information. I have always been worried about what would happen if I hatched a peachick with splayed leg. This topic should be a sticky!

Now I feel much better knowing that I will now know a good method for fixing a peachick's legs. The idea of just putting something to hold the legs close together never sounded to me like it would work, but the wrapping idea is really good!

Edit: So when it is all wrapped up, where do you put it? Does it go back in the brooder and do you keep it under a heat lamp or away from the lamp because the paper keeps it warm?

 

[frenchblackcopper]

If you do this the way I have, the paper will keep the peachick in a natural position with the flat side of the paper as the base. Be sure to staple the rear end of the chick in a horizontal way,then fold the excess paper over towards the peachicks back,then use tape to hold it down.Here you can see I had to roll up 3 peachicks tonight to get their legs corrected. They are all happy little campers and I moved the other chicks out of their group that had no issues so they will be left alone. I will dip their beaks in water in the morning and a few times at night,and they will pick at feed on the floor to eat by themselves. I will take pictures of these same 3 peachicks by the weekend to show how they progressed. It is amusing to watch them for the first time to stand up straight on their own,and take a few steps. That's what makes it worth your time to correct something that is easy to do.

 

[frenchblackcopper]

Minx,,yes into the brooder for a few days so it doesn't get picked or pecked on by others.

 

[zazouse]

i will surly try this, last year i spent 4 days with 1 chick i can not imagine 4 of them

 

[mandyok]

Great information. Unfortunately I may need to use it as we lost power for 3 hours the other day
Thank you so much for posting the pictures.

 

[AugeredIn]

That is a great tutorial. Another method we use is a narrow tupperware container. We secure the legs together just like you have done and then put them in the tupperware container on paper towels. The container is so narrow that they can only sit upright but they can also begin to try and stand. We leave them for 24 hours. Most are fine when taken out and unhobbled. The rest get hobbled with tape for another day.

 

[frenchblackcopper]

This first happened to me when I was still dumb and bought tons of shipped fertile eggs. It's obvious what the problem is with the chick so it only seemed natural to try and get the legs where they should be long enough for the ligaments and muscles to line up correctly. Some chicks will straighten out just by hobbling their legs together. And some it only takes 6 hours and their fine. I've had them a lot worse than these 3 before so I'm confident by Friday they all will be walking fine.


Mandyok,,3 hours isn't bad depending on how cold your bator got down to. My Humidaire incubator was down to 86 degrees,Incubator is made outta Redwood and every tray was super full capacity wise,so the eggs helped hold the temps. Hatcher was down to 64 degrees and I know the power was out for about 6 hours. I just had one last bssp chick hatch tonight. It too was a butt pip but it looks fine so far. Tomorrow it comes out of the hatcher and into the brooder. I think more has to do from the amount of time the egg pips until the chick is out. Hardening of the bone tissue starts once the peachick begins breathing outside air. This too is why high humidity is so key with Peachicks.

 

[frenchblackcopper]

i will surly try this, last year i spent 4 days with 1 chick i can not imagine 4 of them

Zaz,this proves beyond any doubt your a pealover to the fullest extent and meaning of the word. It would be so easy for anyone to just walk away from peachicks that do have issues such as this.Many of us here know too that this is but a small window of oppurtunity given to us each year to progress forward and add life and new blood to our flocks.Hatchtime is fun but it also is a lot of work and not much can be found help wise locally if need be. Trying homemade remedies or cures costs us nothing but a chance to learn and help an otherwise hopeless loss of life. These chicks deserve an effort by me to become normal. One is the first Bronze pied chick I've ever hatched so it too is wrapped and toes was bad on one foot so they are taped as well. Bad thing about this little pea is it's imprinting on me since I've been working on it for 2 days, cries constantly when it goes back in the brooder box. Once it sees or hears me and I reach inside it immediatly tries to come to me to be held.

 

[KsKingBee]

This should definitely be made a sticky! Thank you for the information.

BTW, I have had really good results with massaging the toes when they come out curled under. It needs to be done right away but holding them and putting pressure on the toes, flattening them as they should be helps a lot. One of my first hatched peas was pretty bad but now only one toe seems to be a bit crooked and it walks fine.

 

[zazouse]

Zaz,this proves beyond any doubt your a pealover to the fullest extent and meaning of the word. It would be so easy for anyone to just walk away from peachicks that do have issues such as this.Many of us here know too that this is but a small window of oppurtunity given to us each year to progress forward and add life and new blood to our flocks.Hatchtime is fun but it also is a lot of work and not much can be found help wise locally if need be. Trying homemade remedies or cures costs us nothing but a chance to learn and help an otherwise hopeless loss of life. These chicks deserve an effort by me to become normal. One is the first Bronze pied chick I've ever hatched so it too is wrapped and toes was bad on one foot so they are taped as well. Bad thing about this little pea is it's imprinting on me since I've been working on it for 2 days, cries constantly when it goes back in the brooder box. Once it sees or hears me and I reach inside it immediatly tries to come to me to be held.

Sounds like you got ya a little buddy there, you will love it and it will help the other be more calm when they see it so close to you and they are not freaking out, every peafowl owner should experience a pea Shadow one time in their life, they are a hoot .