Help! Trouble with splay chick

[Lanfear]

So this chick is from first hatch (and chicken flock) ever.... I have seen lots of videos and articles ... Am I doing something wrong, not giving it enough time or prolonging things??

Chick wasn't walking from the start (Sunday). Kind of splitting custody with my mom so after a couple days I noticed and said we should hobble. She's been hobbled for perhaps 4 or 5 days now but she can't hold her front up. She keeps falling forward. We have her by herself so she doesn't get stepped in. She's still full of pep cheeping and is eating from dish set in front of her.... Food is soaked so easier to digest... Not sure what else we should do at this point. She's a fighter but not sure if we are doing right thing to keep trying to fix?? We have tried hobbles made of elastic and straw, vet wrap, tape, band aid. Any ideas?

 

[TheBantyShanty]

I also had this problem with a chick and I used a piece of stretchy cloth over a box with two holes cut in it. The chicks legs dangled down from the holes in the box for a day, and after that his legs recovered. I also tried all of the other things you can do for them, like band- aids and hair tie ones but this is what worked for him. That is good that your chick is eating, we had to hand feed ours until he could walk. Do you happen to have Poultry Nutridrech? That would also help this chick also.

Good luck with him and congrats on your hatch!

 

[jeepgirl13]

I literally just dealt with this same problem this morning. I made a chick chair and hobbled his legs together. This little guy hatched out last night with splay legs, or possibly another bone disease I was informed about. It's on one of my other threads.

I cut a big gulp cup from 711 just about in half. Then I took an old shirt, cut a large rectangle, folded the cloth in half, and placed it over the top half of the cup, the part I just cut. I then trimmed down the excess cloth and proceeded to duct tape it on very thoroughly. Once it was secure and made a little seat, I cut 3 holes in the cloth for legs and poop. Little guy fit right in

I also turned the bottom of the cup into the feeding tray. I trimmed it down to be just a bit shorter than the chair, and put tape on it so it would stick to the chair. Then I rolled up tiny strips of duct tape, sticky side out, and used them to hold lids for food and water.

Once the chick was fitted into the chair, I used a thin strip of vet wrap to make my hobbles, wrapped it around the chicks legs in a figure 8, and slipped a small piece of straw I sliced long way over the vetwrap between his legs.

 

[jeepgirl13]

I've been looking for info on how long to leave him in there, but only had one person tell me just a little while a couple times a day. My little guy is less than 24hrs old tho. He hatched around midnight last night, and got fixed up with his chair and hobbled a couple hrs ago.

 

[jeepgirl13]

I also had this problem with a chick and I used a piece of stretchy cloth over a box with two holes cut in it. The chicks legs dangled down from the holes in the box for a day, and after that his legs recovered. I also tried all of the other things you can do for them, like band- aids and hair tie ones but this is what worked for him. That is good that your chick is eating, we had to hand feed ours until he could walk. Do you happen to have Poultry Nutridrech? That would also help this chick also.

Good luck with him and congrats on your hatch!

I agree with the vitamins. I noticed a huge difference in his energy after getting some vitamin water in him

 

[Lanfear]

Thanks everyone for your replies!! We have rigged something up for the night using a cup and cut up sock lol. Fingers crossed it's enough... I just feel so bad for her but she's not giving up yet... I think she just needs a bit more help
Edit: we have been giving "magic water" to her too (recipe from a chicken book). Seems to keep her perky!

 

[Maiahr]

I posted in the other thread.. give selenium and vit E, this is what our vets here prescribe.