Put a splint of a chick with spraddle legs...

[Anon19]

Hey all, I'm new here.

My mum decided to buy a few chickens a year or so ago - we now have about 20 and have hatched our first lot of chicks in an incubator.

The first one was born yesterday morning, and he looked like he was doing the splits constantly! I had a browse on the internet, and it said to splint with bandaids, etc. I also called a vet who said he had splinted a chicks legs and to do it with a bandaid and paperclip, or a pipe cleaner as this was resistant.

I have just done this, with the help of my brother who held the chick whilst I put the pipecleaner on his legs, in the same place as shown on various pictures online.

Before, he was just lying in one place and couldn't move. Now, he is running around his brooder and is eating and drinking a little and so appears better, but he is continously chirping really loudly.

Is he just a bit miffed at his feet being strapped together or is there a real issue?! It's not too tight on his legs at all btw.

Thanks

 

[Mahlzeit]

Usually if they are peeping loudly they are either, hungry, thirsty, cold, or alone and calling for the other chicks. Make sure he is getting enough food and water. Hope all goes well. I have only had one with spraddle legs out of all my hatching and I used the band-aid method. It worked at first but unfortunately he didn't make it. Hope you have better luck!! And Welcome to BYC.