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You asked earlier why they may have been pipping early..and in the wrong area. First, early usually means lower temps during incubation time. Second, sounds like they pipped in the right place, you have chicks!
Think about it. If they pip externally in the first place, they are usually fine, that means they hit the air sac. If they had pipped internally, where there is no air sac, they would suffocate, or drown with what fluid is left in there.
Now, splayed legs. I use electrical tape. It works great! I cut the tape in half to make it small enough to go around the tiny legs. You place the legs in the right position, tape a piece around one leg once, then go to the other leg, keeping the distance that looks right to you for chicken legs...
then, go around that one and come back to stick it on the other leg, or on the tape in the middle. You may need some help, they are squirmy little ones. I keep the tape on for a day or two. It's according to how splayed they looked. Works like a charm. We like this kind of tape, because it sticks well to itself and chick, but, it comes off pretty easy when you separate the tape from itself. The babies legs have never been sore. Hope all that made sense.
I didn't have to help it at all, and it hatched out the small side. Just about all of my eggs have now pipped and only two have done so in the right place. So fingers crossed for the rest!
