Help! Hatchlings and spraddle leg!

[Jotaylor]

So yesterday at 11 am I had my very first hatch! Well its now 9:30 the next morning and it seems she has spraddle leg

and she hasn't fluffed all the way yet. I just have her in a styrofoam cooler incubator so I guess she kept slipping on the surface. Should I have shavings in there, or is that bad for freshly hatched chicks? Will it make it harder for the other 2 I have in there to hatch being they won't roll around? When should I try to tape her legs? I don't want to loose her! Do I need to do anything to help her fluff?

 

[Bill 101]

Take a regular size rubber band, slip the loop over one leg & then wind the rubber band up, make a small loop at the other end & slip it over it's other leg. It will pull it's legs together but allow it to walk. Some people use twist ties.
No shavings, maybe a paper towel on the bottom

 

[Sally Sunshine]

you can try the treatments below, but I would first try a little T cup or something that has some weight that will cause her to keep her stance together as I have found the hobbles are terrible hard for them and they end up on their back, you will have to keep offering food and water to her, or let her out and dip her beak as much as you can, sorta like leg therapy! adding I had a little one like this and after a day she was fine!

Good luck!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-101

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CHICKEN ORTHOPEDICS ~​

https://sites.google.com/a/larsencreek.com/chicken-orthopedics/leg-braces
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/72885/boot-for-curled-toes-on-3-month-old-chicken-update-w-pics
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/02/spraddle-leg-in-baby-chicks-what-is-it.html​

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Curled Toes
http://www.chickenchatter.org/view_topic.php?id=2586&forum_id=30
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[Jotaylor]

How long should I wait to hobble the legs being she isn't fluffed all the way yet?

 

[Sally Sunshine]

How long should I wait to hobble the legs being she isn't fluffed all the way yet?

if you have a brooder at 97 or 98 she will be fine in the t/cup. just dont get her chilled make sure no drafts... the cup does the same EXACT thing as hobbles so time will be dermined on her.

 

[Jotaylor]

I'm not sure what the t cup is?

 

[Sally Sunshine]

a cup with a narrow bottom

tea as in coffee tea?

 

[Sally Sunshine]

the tapered bottom forces the legs back in naturally

 

[Jotaylor]

oh hehe

Just put her in it?

 

[Sally Sunshine]

yuppers!