Hi all!
First post here. I've been stalking this site for a while, but have always found the info I needed without actually having to post. Anyway, I'm thrilled to be here and to "meet" all the great people I've been reading for the last couple years!
So here's my story (I'm not gonna give the whole background on my experience here cause that's a story for another post and possibly my profile - this is kindof an emergency so I'll do the rest later).:
I just hatched 10 beautiful Silkie babies over the last couple days (the last one hatched yesterday early morning, but it needed help - the other 9 hatched Friday and Saturday). One of the blue Silkies that hatched Saturday evening seems to have hatched with spraddle leg. I cut a bandaid in half legnthwise and wrapped it around the legs with the with pad as the spacer to guide how far apart the legs should be. The bandaid has come off several times, and the chick keeps putting both legs behind it straight out as if it is lying on it's stomach. I have a couple questions because, while I've raised many chickens, I've somehow, never had to deal with spraddle/splay leg. Questions are as follows:
1. Since the chick seems STILL not able to support it's weight on it's legs should I be doing something else to at least keep the legs underneath the body as opposed to straight out behind it? I'm concerned that since it can't move around at all, it will become either cold, starve, die of thirst, be picked on, etc... It is able to jump a little bit, which is my alternative concern because it keeps jumping into the waterer!
2. I've had it isolated since this morning since it just can't make it in the large brooder. Basically it's living inside a cowboy hat lined with paper towels and a thick sweater on top for warmth. I've got baby ducks in one room, 3 week old barred rocks in another, and the Silkies in the last brooder I've got. I don't have any actual heat lamps - just 2 of the brinsea ecoglow heat pad things, but they are being used by the other silkies and the barred rocks, respectively. This one needs to be isolated and have special care. That much is obvious. Does anyone know of another way to keep her warm immediately? I've been carrying her around wrapped in a sweater, but I don't think that will work for when I'm sleeping and/or need to take care of my young kids or other animals. I don't even know if the wrap is adequate. Plus (longwinded, sorry): I feel like keeping her wrapped up all the time will hinder her recovery since she won't be able to walk around. I need To figure out a way to effectively and cheaply keep her warm enough, fed, and hydrated. Any ideas?
3. Should I be using vet wrap instead of bandaids? Would that provide better hold and/or flexibility?
Thanks in advance for anyone's opinions! I really appreciate it!
First post here. I've been stalking this site for a while, but have always found the info I needed without actually having to post. Anyway, I'm thrilled to be here and to "meet" all the great people I've been reading for the last couple years!
So here's my story (I'm not gonna give the whole background on my experience here cause that's a story for another post and possibly my profile - this is kindof an emergency so I'll do the rest later).:I just hatched 10 beautiful Silkie babies over the last couple days (the last one hatched yesterday early morning, but it needed help - the other 9 hatched Friday and Saturday). One of the blue Silkies that hatched Saturday evening seems to have hatched with spraddle leg. I cut a bandaid in half legnthwise and wrapped it around the legs with the with pad as the spacer to guide how far apart the legs should be. The bandaid has come off several times, and the chick keeps putting both legs behind it straight out as if it is lying on it's stomach. I have a couple questions because, while I've raised many chickens, I've somehow, never had to deal with spraddle/splay leg. Questions are as follows:
1. Since the chick seems STILL not able to support it's weight on it's legs should I be doing something else to at least keep the legs underneath the body as opposed to straight out behind it? I'm concerned that since it can't move around at all, it will become either cold, starve, die of thirst, be picked on, etc... It is able to jump a little bit, which is my alternative concern because it keeps jumping into the waterer!
2. I've had it isolated since this morning since it just can't make it in the large brooder. Basically it's living inside a cowboy hat lined with paper towels and a thick sweater on top for warmth. I've got baby ducks in one room, 3 week old barred rocks in another, and the Silkies in the last brooder I've got. I don't have any actual heat lamps - just 2 of the brinsea ecoglow heat pad things, but they are being used by the other silkies and the barred rocks, respectively. This one needs to be isolated and have special care. That much is obvious. Does anyone know of another way to keep her warm immediately? I've been carrying her around wrapped in a sweater, but I don't think that will work for when I'm sleeping and/or need to take care of my young kids or other animals. I don't even know if the wrap is adequate. Plus (longwinded, sorry): I feel like keeping her wrapped up all the time will hinder her recovery since she won't be able to walk around. I need To figure out a way to effectively and cheaply keep her warm enough, fed, and hydrated. Any ideas?
3. Should I be using vet wrap instead of bandaids? Would that provide better hold and/or flexibility?
Thanks in advance for anyone's opinions! I really appreciate it!
