help with new chicks please!?!?!?

[bravevline]

i just hatched out my first three babies ever on wednesday, but two of them have trouble walking!!! their feet stick out to the side!!!!!!!!!!
heres a pic:

(one is wet because it didnt hatch right. the membrane was very leathery and it couldnt move inside. i had to help it; it was BADLY stuck, and had this nasty afterbirth stuff that dried and hardened onto its back. I thought it would go away soon, but it didn't, so I just kind of took some warm water and brushed over its back and fluffed it out and placed it back under the light to dry). Anyway, both chicks have this issue. This is a new territory for me. Will they grow out of this? Can I fix it? Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!!

 

[ChickenLegs13]

They're not getting traction on the plastic brooder floor. Lay down some paper towels or an old dishrag.

 

[subhanalah]

They're not getting traction on the plastic brooder floor. Lay down some paper towels or an old dishrag.

x2. As soon as you can. You may need to splint their legs if you don't act quickly enough. We shall see how it goes after they've had some time on something with more grip.

 

[cackleberrycam]

x3 It could lead to splay leg!

 

[bravevline]

i did it in time to save one which is now walking normally, but the other one still has spraddle leg!!!!!!!!!! is there a way to fix this!?!?!? i had no idea that the slickness of the environment had so much to do with growth!!!

 

[subhanalah]

Try a search on BYC for "splay leg" "straddle leg" I think there are a few threads/articles pertaining to how to correct the problem

 

[Frankie Ruiz]

ive seen splay leg be fixed by taping the legs closer to eachother with a band aid. im sure there is youtube videos on how to fix it

 

[bravevline]

ive taped them together, he keeps falling; is that ok? he isnt happy about it, but he will have to deal with it if he wants any hope of having a normal life. how long do you think it will take?

 

[chickengeorgeto]

.... i had no idea that the slickness of the environment had so much to do with growth!!!

I realize that this thread is months old but the real problem is likely poor genetics or even more likely the problem is a poor incubation environment.

 

[bravevline]

I realize that this thread is months old but the real problem is likely poor genetics or even more likely the problem is a poor incubation environment.

this thread was posted 1-2 days ago…