leg spraddle. I need some advice please read

[Country Living Farm]

Ok, I had a chick with a curled toe. I tried to fix it like I did another older chick but then it got leg spraddle. I now have both legs bandaged to a piece of cardboard but when the chick moves, he pushes the leg behind him/her and lays on his stomach with his feet out behind him. How do I keep him from doing that. I have to put him upright every 2 minutes.

 

[chickenhick]

Sorry about your baby...I don't know what to tell you...just bumping you up so maybe someone will notice you better....hope someone here will help you!

 

[Momo]

Forget the cardboard. Take a regular band-aid and cut it half lengthwise. Wrap each side around one leg, high up, with the pad part of the band-aid forming the spacing between the two legs. Cutting the band-aid to make it narrower really helps the little tykes to be able to move around instead of falling over with their legs tied together. Also if he's still on paper towel, try moving him to shavings - he should be able to get around better on them.

 

[ruth]

I find the best thing to fix spraddle leg is take a thin rubber band, cut it so you have a "strechy string" then tie one end around one ankle (leaving a loose knot so as not to cut off circulation) an then leave about an inch width and tie to the other ankle. That way the chick can still walk and run around and doesn't fall over but the bad leg can't get out to the side or too far away and the chick learns to walk on it since it's underneath his body instead of out to the side or taped stiff.

For the curled toe, I use a bandaid and cut two small squares. Turn the first square sticky side up and carefully spread out the toes the way they should be and press his foot to the sticky square - I leave the "thumb" toe out of the tape and positioned to the back where it should be - then put the other square of tape on top of foot and press the two sticky pieces together, especially in between the toes. Again I leave the back toe out so that he can get his balance and walk on his feet in a natural position.

I have had chicks where I had to do both measures simultaneously and the chick had a band-aid shoe on one foot and the rubberband hobble - they made a full recovery in less than a week.

 

[Country Living Farm]

Tks I will try that and the other suggestion

 

[Barnyard]

Quote:

that sounds about right to me....