Need help with splay legs please

[wyochick10]

So I hatched these CLB chicks on March 19. This one chick couldn’t walk so I did some research and attempted to put some band-aid hobbles on her. But I don’t think it’s working. The first pair seemed too tight she just fell over. Then I put one on that seemed too loose but she was walking and running around. I took that off after about a day and a half or so. Her legs went back out to the sides. The next couple I put on she broke through during the day. So that brings me to this picture of what she looks like now! I don’t think this is right at all! Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

[Darrinhuns]

I had a silkie with the same issue. What I did is put her in a smaller container with the 4 essential elements all close together. Food, water, a place to warm up and a place to cool down. I kept the legs tapped really close together so she could take baby steps to get to the food and water. It took her a couple minutes to learn how to stand in them but she did. I kept those on for a couple days until she grew a little then gradually allowed the legs further apart over the course of 2 and a half weeks until she was good and those muscles grew in and locked the legs in place.

 

[wyochick10]

Thank you for your reply. Did the feet turn outward so much in your chick. I feel like the hobbles have I applied so far have just made the legs worse! A
Also you mentioned you taped them up tight. Tighter than I have in the picture? Thank you again for your help. I am really at a loss as how to help her. It’s been over a week so far with no progress!

 

[RosemaryDuck]

Oh wow. You have that very very tight. I would take that off asap as it looks like it's actually forcing her legs outward.

With the bandaid trick, you want it to be taunt, but not tight or loose. You put one side on one leg, then the other side on the other leg, not the entire bandaid around the bird. So the middle bit (the gauze white part) of the bandaid will be showing. You can cut it smaller of need be.

I hope this helps!

 

[wyochick10]

Oh wow. You have that very very tight. I would take that off asap as it looks like it's actually forcing her legs outward.

With the bandaid trick, you want it to be taunt, but not tight or loose. You put one side on one leg, then the other side on the other leg, not the entire bandaid around the bird. So the middle bit (the gauze white part) of the bandaid will be showing. You can cut it smaller of need be.

I hope this helps!

Ok thank you! That is exactly how the band aid is applied. The white pad part is in the middle and the tape part is just around the legs. It’s not folded over. But as you can see it does appear to be forcing the legs in the wrong position. Hence my frustration but I did take it off last night though. I must be doing something else wrong though. Thank you again for your reply and help!

edited to say: maybe I need different band-aids. I’ve gone through all the normal regular sized ones in the house! and I know my window to try and fix her is closing! (Or already has )

 

[RosemaryDuck]

Ok thank you! That is exactly how the band aid is applied. The white pad part is in the middle and the tape part is just around the legs. It’s not folded over. But as you can see it does appear to be forcing the legs in the wrong position. Hence my frustration but I did take it off last night though. I must be doing something else wrong though. Thank you again for your reply and help!

edited to say: maybe I need different band-aids. I’ve gone through all the normal regular sized ones in the house! and I know my window to try and fix her is closing! (Or already has )

Oh geesh. Hmm. Maybe the legs are just deformed. Do they face out that way normally? So sorry you're going through this with your little one.

 

[wyochick10]

Oh geesh. Hmm. Maybe the legs are just deformed. Do they face out that way normally? So sorry you're going through this with your little one.

No when she hatched they were just weak and she couldn’t stand. I am pretty sure I have made them worse but thank you so much for your replies. I really appreciate it!

 

[Darrinhuns]

Thank you for your reply. Did the feet turn outward so much in your chick. I feel like the hobbles have I applied so far have just made the legs worse! A
Also you mentioned you taped them up tight. Tighter than I have in the picture? Thank you again for your help. I am really at a loss as how to help her. It’s been over a week so far with no progress!

I did do it a little bit closer but that was also with a Silkie chick. You really have to find that sweet spot where the legs aren’t to far facing outward ( the still will be a little bit) but not to far and so that they can use it and still build muscle

 

[wyochick10]

I did do it a little bit closer but that was also with a Silkie chick. You really have to find that sweet spot where the legs aren’t to far facing outward ( the still will be a little bit) but not to far and so that they can use it and still build muscle

Ok so I just got them taped closer but it was very hard to get the leg rotated and stay like it should. Definitely goes straight out to the side at the knee/hip? It’s still not facing 100% forward when she put weight in it but I made the band aid a little thicker too. I did put her food and water closer to her. Thank you again for your help!

edited to say that didn’t last long. Band aid came off already!