Quail chicks using runt as heat mat

[Anonymous 123]

Hi! I hatched 4 quails 2 days ago and there is one little runty chick, she is smaller than everyone else. I notice that the other chicks step on her alot- She also has splayed legs... Id isolate her for a bit but she and the others panic when i take her away. Im worried that she will get hurt. Thanks!

 

[sourland]

Can you put a divider in the brooder so that can see but not access one another? You could then work on fixing her splayed legs.

 

[shrimpsilkies]

The most likely reason she is a runt is because she has trouble getting to food. How badly are her legs splayed?
Do you plan to fix her splayed legs?

 

[Anonymous 123]

The most likely reason she is a runt is because she has trouble getting to food. How badly are her legs splayed?
Do you plan to fix her splayed legs?

Her legs are pretty bad... We are putting her in a narrow cup for an hour a day to excersice her legs. She eats with the others though- she is just really small

 

[shrimpsilkies]

Her legs are pretty bad... We are putting her in a narrow cup for an hour a day to excersice her legs. She eats with the others though- she is just really small

Try tying the legs with a piece of vet tape or thinly cut bandages. The earlier the better, since she’ll only need to keep the hobble on for a day or two. It’s worth it. The cup might not be sufficient.
Maybe try raising the heat in one patch or put a heat pack in a fuzzy sock to get them to cluster around that instead of the chick.

Not a great pic and this chick was even worse because of the curled toes, (you won’t need to put on those shoes unless her toes are messed up) but you can get a general idea of how to tie the legs. A loop around each shank and a short space between the legs. You might be able to do it with a bandage, even better if you have vet tape since it isn’t as sticky or dangerous. I only had this on her for about two days and she is now a perfectly normal happy hen.

 

[Chickenwalls]

my chicks were dining the to smallest one but I gave them more room and they stopped doing it so giving more room may help

 

[FloorCandy]

Here is how I fix splay:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/how-i-fix-splayed-legs.1439605/#post-23861169

I would separate it, they’ll get used to it after a while and standing tall and screeching is good physical therapy for weak legs. hobble the legs, and keep it separate in a smaller space until you see that it has adjusted to the hobble and can stand and walk, most will adjust in a few hours, and will be walking around.

are the toes curled? It’s common with splay for the toes to be curled because they aren’t standing properly to spread them. If they’re curled, you will need to tape the toes, you can search this site for a lot of useful guides for taping curled toes, i like using painters tape.

 

[gtaus]

Fortunately, I have never had to deal with splayed legs. I give credit to those of you who go the extra mile to treat the chicks. For myself, I don't think I have the energy if the situation was very bad. But I don't treat my chickens as pets, so maybe it is easier for me to consider other options. Over the 40+ years of having small animals, I have had to cull some animals and just dedicate myself to the healthier ones.

But I look forward to following this thread and hope you post pics of your chick getting better.