Scooter?!

[blessedchick]

Help, experts!

One of my keets hatched out yesterday with, what I thought, was splayed legs. He lays on his belly and scoots everywhere. His legs don't look like they are too terribly splayed...he just doesn't want to stand up! I put the vetwrap splint on him and he still scoots along with his head parallel to the ground. And he is RIDICULOUSLY FAST!

It almost appears that he can't/won't straighten out his legs. He sits up just fine, then lowers his head to 'GO". I keep taking him out of the brooder and holding him a bit over the floor so he has to stretch his little legs to touch the floor. And I'm working those legs up and down...keet physical therapy?

Any suggestions? He has such a feisty spirit...eating, drinking, "running" with his brooder mates...but I'm not sure what to do... Help!

 

[PeepsCA]

Not sure why he is doing that, possibly a birth defect/genetic issue.... was it a hard hatch for him, or late?

I would keep the brace on his legs so they don't end up splayed from the way he's getting around, but for some "therapy sessions" I'd set him in a cushioned cup that's a little taller than his head, so he has to stand up real tall to look out, and really stretch his legs to try and get out (basically doing squats, in repetition and strengthening his leg muscles). It might help encourage him to use his legs correctly to get up and walk.

Keep in mind tho while he is in the cup he can't eat or drink, so either feed and water him on and off thru the day then put him back in the cup or just start with short periods in the cup, then put him back in the brooder. IMO tho, the more time in the cup, the more he'll have to use his legs, (if he can). Plus eventually his belly is going to be all poop covered and possibly sore/raw from all the scooting.

Here's a pic of a keet in what I mean by "a cup". Well padded to kind of cradle the keet, with something on the bottom that gives good traction. The plastic containers that pre-made cake frosting comes in work good too, for keets bigger than this little one. Good luck with him.

 

[blessedchick]

Thank you SO MUCH! That looks like exactly what he needs! I was trying to figure out a way to make him use his neck muscles and this looks like it will do the trick! AND I HAVE ANOTHER ONE! These eggs were about 15-18 days old when I put them in the 'bator, so I was actually surprised that they hatched. I have 5 that are normal, 2 no hatches and these 2 little scooters. The second one is actually doing better than the first - he scoots on his hocks but keeps his head upright.

I will fashion them both some "cup therapy". I will take them in to work with me to make sure that they eat and drink...my office is used to me with my crazy critters (God Bless them)

Do you think the older eggs could have something to do with this? Both easy hatches...My lavenders were all wiped out except for one male, by some daytime predator (still tuff for me to even think about) so these little guys are all precious "replacements". Thank you so much for the info!

 

[blessedchick]

HOORAY!!! After one day of being "keets in a kup" one of my cuties is 100% and the other one is a good 90%!! The first one is ripping around now like he never had a care in the world, so my hopes are up that the second one will be doing much better very soon. He is holding his head up and "walking" on his hocks, so I am definitely encouraged! YAHOO!!

 

[PeepsCA]

That's great news! Chalk another one up for the cup!

The keet that's walking on it's hocks... check and see if you can feel/see the tendons on the hock joints slipping to the inside or outside of the joints as you bend it's legs. Might be a double case of slipped tendons, and if so the keet will need to have the hocks wrapped with just a thin strip of some type of tape to hold the tendons in place (wrapped on in the opposite direction the tendons are slipping, to help keep tension on the tendons to get them to stay in the tendon grooves). I don't have any pics of this... so hopefully you know what I mean...