How long should I be watching for spraddle leg?

[mausbytes]

First-timer here! We brought our new chicks home from the farm store last night, and a couple of them have gotten brave this morning and decided hopping up on top of their radiant heater was a good idea. The top of it is a more slippery plastic, so they've had trouble when they slide down and try to get back up, which makes me worry about spraddle leg. I've tried putting some paper towels on top to give them some traction, but those are sliding, too:

So, maybe two questions here: 1) how long should watching for spraddle leg be a concern here? Is there a time frame for when we'll be "out of the woods"? and 2) Should I move their heater in the meantime? I could push it slightly forward so they slide back down onto the floor, maybe. I could also tape the paper towels down, so they have a little bit of grip.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

You could put a piece of shelf liner on top of the heat plate if that model doesn't get hot on top, this will give them some grip.

Generally, Splay or Spraddle leg shows up at hatch, but its possible for chicks to suffer injury from jumping around.
I usually don't worry too much, chicks and chickens jump and bounce around quite bit, so I think yours should be fine.

Cute Chicks, what breeds did you get? They look quite spunky and happy to explore their brooder. It looks a little close quarters, so you may want plan on giving them a bigger space within the next few days, they grow quickly.

 

[mausbytes]

You could put a piece of shelf liner on top of the heat plate if that model doesn't get hot on top, this will give them some grip.

Generally, Splay or Spraddle leg shows up at hatch, but its possible for chicks to suffer injury from jumping around.
I usually don't worry too much, chicks and chickens jump and bounce around quite bit, so I think yours should be fine.

Cute Chicks, what breeds did you get? They look quite spunky and happy to explore their brooder. It looks a little close quarters, so you may want plan on giving them a bigger space within the next few days, they grow quickly.

I've ended up taping down the paper towels to act as a shelf liner (it doesn't get very warm on top) and that's been perfect. Glad to hear they're not terribly likely to get spraddle leg from something like this!

I've got two Easter Eggers/Americaunas, a Dark Brahma, and a Plymouth/Barred Rock! They do seem to be very spunky, especially the Easter Eggers.

This is a photo of the whole container from up top - we're expecting to move them to something larger here in a bit, but I've seen a number of other homesteaders use these bins for the early days, so I'm hoping this will be alright for now:

Is there any behavior I should watch for (aside from bullying) to gauge when they're ready for an upgrade?

 

[kattabelly]

Is there any behavior I should watch for (aside from bullying) to gauge when they're ready for an upgrade?

If they're more than a couple of days old, they'll definitely appreciate being given more space as soon as possible.

 

[casportpony]

Welcome to BYC. I agree with everything @Wyorp Rock said.

This is a photo of the whole container from up top - we're expecting to move them to something larger here in a bit, but I've seen a number of other homesteaders use these bins for the early days, so I'm hoping this will be alright for now:

That looks great. The only problem I see is the mirror. It doesn't look attached, which means it could fall and injure one of the chicks.

Is there any behavior I should watch for (aside from bullying) to gauge when they're ready for an upgrade?

I usually upgrade when they completely soil the base in a day or less.

 

[fldiver97]

Adorable chicks! Beware, they will soon be able to jump out…. You can also put a small branch or two in the brooder, they will ‘roost’ and explore.

 

[mausbytes]

Adorable chicks! Beware, they will soon be able to jump out…. You can also put a small branch or two in the brooder, they will ‘roost’ and explore.

Oh yes! We have a hardware cloth lid we just need to cut down to size, but it will be going on very soon.

 

[mausbytes]

Welcome to BYC. I agree with everything @Wyorp Rock said.

That looks great. The only problem I see is the mirror. It doesn't look attached, which means it could fall and injure one of the chicks.

I usually upgrade when they completely soil the base in a day or less.

Great call on the mirror - and that's a good metric for upgrading! We will have their new enclosure ready soon. <3