How long to treat splayed leg chick before culling?

[Fishman43]

The title says it all, but the story if you would like it is...

The chick is now two weeks old, it did not have an issue for the first 5 days then developed what I guess is called splayed legs. Technically the leggs are not splayed out to the sides, but instead the chick can't keep them both under it's body with one or the other always pointed straight out in front of the chick. Both feet hold their toes together pointed forward and rolled slightly to the outside. I tried the bandaid hobble for 3 days, then tiny rubber bands on the legs with a string attaching them for 5 days with no noticible improvement. I switched back to a bandaid yesterday.

How long do I let this chick try and heal before I cull it if it doesn't show any improvement? I feel bad that it struggles around I know it isn't eating as much as the others because they are growing at a more rapid rate, I can only assume the same for water consumption.

Thanks for any help!

 

[Opa]

Personally I never invest much time with chicks, the success rate is just to low for the time invested. I'd cull.

 

[FarmGirl01]

I'm really quick to cull chicks with problems. But I did treat a splayed leg chick a week ago. She came out of the egg with her leg behind her. Within a few hours both legs were out to the side. I also did the Band-aid trick and it worked. The next day she was fine.
I probaly wouldn't let her go with the condition over a week. But if you have the time and energy, try for a little longer. If she gets to far behind on growth, I would just go ahead and cull her. Sorry about this.

 

[Fishman43]

Thanks for the input

It is a bummer, but part of the process I guess

 

[wren]

Sh#t don't cull unless it's a breeding bird. It's easy to fix. Take a rubber band and make sort of a hobble out of it by tying two knots 1/8 inch from the ends. The rubber band should be about 1 1/2 inches long for a standard chick. One knot on each end. The knot on each of the ends should make a "cuff" that will go around one ankle. The cuff should be big enough to not bind the ankle but little enough of a loop to stay on. So stretch the cuff poke one foot through, stretch the other cuff and poke the other foot through.

 

[Fishman43]

Quote:
Tried two versions of that, see my post above.

 

[jbowyer01]

I left mine on for three or four days. It corrected the issue just fine.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

You might put the chick up on Craigslist- some don't mind handicapped birds.

 

[wren]

yes I read your post, I just figured the string was too long or not left on long enough. In my experience the rubber band hobble works with splayed legs.

 

[Diamond Wire Farms]

If you are in for a few more days, you can also try putting the chick in a tea-cup/mug inside the brooder for a few hours at a time. It helps the legs stay under them and encourages them to stand up to see out. (Like chick pushups.) Not sure if it will work for all chicks. I'm 3 of 4 at this point. I had to cull one last week that just wasn't able to stand unassisted. If you're not already using Pro-vi-sol (no iron) I would get some. I think it helps with these weaker chicks.

Good Luck. There is no right answer. Just what you feel is reasonable for the situation.