Leg Leashes for Chicks

[PuffyChick]

Heya all,

I am wanting to let my chicks out in the yard (which is big fat full grown chicken proof but not small fluffy baby chicken proof) and I also want to let the kids 'play' with them and it seemed to me the best thing to keep them from perhaps getting scared and just zipping right off would be a leg leash?

I am a pretty handy sewist and so I could fashion a comfy padded 'manacle' to go around the leg with some velcro and just attach it to a small thin roped leash.

My one question because I am not sure is ..how will their leg hold up? I dont want to accidentally break a leg.

What do you all think?

Thanks for any replys in advance
PuffyC

 

[sumi]

Not a good idea. The chicks will panic and very likely break their legs. Chick's bones are very fragile. Rather put them in a small, temporary, fenced in area.

And

 

[devora]

Welcome!

And, yeah, bad idea. Not just for chicks but for grown girls as well.

When I wanted to let my wee ones out I created a bottomless box and put it in the yard. If it's warm enough where you are you could do it w/ fuzzy chicks or wait until they are feathered and do it then.

It's so fun to see them on their first days out. "Ohhhh, it's a big world! Let's scratch it and peck at it!!"

 

[kukupecpec]

I myself have been wondering about this, but instead I was thinking of stitching them a teensy little harness. Would this also be too much for their fragile little bodies?

 

[Kevin565]

I myself have been wondering about this, but instead I was thinking of stitching them a teensy little harness. Would this also be too much for their fragile little bodies?

A harness should be fine. People use diaper harnesses for ducklings all the time.

 

[zsazsa33]

Hello, They use leg leashes in the Hawaiian Islands on mature birds. Mostly on Roosters. It is a professionally manufactured leg leash with a leather collar which slips over the leg attach to a cord which attaches to a metal peg sunk into the ground. They keep roosters pegged to keep them from killing each other as roosters love to fight. I never witnessed any leg breakage on mature birds. It allows you to move them around to scratch and to peg them in areas where they will not be killed by predators. This is widely used in the Hawaiian Islands and is a historical fact.

 

[MasAhora]

Here in Paraguay some folks tie broody hens by the leg to a tree to break the broody spell. I can't bring myself to do that but it is considered normal.

 

[rosemarythyme]

This isn't the same, but... I had a chick that got its foot caught in a crack and it basically panicked itself to death, dislocating and breaking the leg in the process.

Long story short, it's not a good idea. You can probably make a small penned area out of some hardware cloth and garden stakes so that your kids can step into it but the chicks won't easily hop out of.