South Carolina

[WestKnollAmy]

Quote:
Is it spraddle leg? Or hip issues?

And is this what you tried?
Spraddle Leg Help

Im not sure....I've been doing the bandaide thing

My fingers do not work well putting band-aids on those tiny legs so I just put them on that rubber shelf mat stuff and mine get better. Actually, I so seldom have it happen it has been a while since I had to do it. Since I have been hatching my own I think I have had 2.
Some people said to put them in cups so their bodies are propped up but my chicks were miserable and I really haven't ever had the time to work with one chick like that. They have to be taken out for food and water every hour or so. I can't stand to hear a chick crying so I put them on rubber matting. It makes a world of difference, I think. And I have had some that just scoot backwards but again, a few days on the matting and they are fine.

 

[CarolinaChickenKeeper]

Quote:
Im not sure....I've been doing the bandaide thing

My fingers do not work well putting band-aids on those tiny legs so I just put them on that rubber shelf mat stuff and mine get better. Actually, I so seldom have it happen it has been a while since I had to do it. Since I have been hatching my own I think I have had 2.
Some people said to put them in cups so their bodies are propped up but my chicks were miserable and I really haven't ever had the time to work with one chick like that. They have to be taken out for food and water every hour or so. I can't stand to hear a chick crying so I put them on rubber matting. It makes a world of difference, I think. And I have had some that just scoot backwards but again, a few days on the matting and they are fine.

I'm thinking it's a tendon or hip issue. And, yes Ive been treating it for splayed legs.......

 

[Larkspur88]

If it's a hip issue keep your fingers crossed. I just adopted about 3 weeks ago two chicks. One was normal. The other had a severe hip dislocation. I saw it the day it hatched and it was completely messed up. I think the chick was too big for it's egg. We tried taping but all it did was make him mad. I just left it alone to see if it improved. And now it's basically normal! It also appears to have a bit of polish in it. The little thing has a tiny cow lick poof coming up on it's head! The feed store gave the chick to me for free when it was 3 days old hoping I could make it better. It's a cute baby. I really need to get to my computer to post photos!

 

[ChickyChickyBaby]

Quote:
Im not sure....I've been doing the bandaide thing

My fingers do not work well putting band-aids on those tiny legs so I just put them on that rubber shelf mat stuff and mine get better. Actually, I so seldom have it happen it has been a while since I had to do it. Since I have been hatching my own I think I have had 2.
Some people said to put them in cups so their bodies are propped up but my chicks were miserable and I really haven't ever had the time to work with one chick like that. They have to be taken out for food and water every hour or so. I can't stand to hear a chick crying so I put them on rubber matting. It makes a world of difference, I think. And I have had some that just scoot backwards but again, a few days on the matting and they are fine.

I have had a couple or three with spraddle legs and I have the matting in the incubator to help prevent that, and in the tank brooder.

However, I have a DUCK with that now. This hatch of ducks has been strange compared to other ones.

 

[Larkspur88]

Hey I finally posted some photos of some of my birds, but so I don't repost them fifteen billion times here are my seramas and my two little chicks. You can see my special needs chick. It's the yellow one. He had a BAD hip and if you look at the photos you wouldn't know he could barely stand at one time.

(For the person who is having trouble with a disabled chick!)

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=519243

 

[gjensen]

Quote:
thank you.. I know i knew that I just needed to be told.

.. if my neighbor wasn't such a jerk I would ask them if they have sick birds.? and now that you mention it mom was talking about black birds coming in and resting by the pond and some were very weak hopefully not sick but what you say makes so much sense.. wild birds could have gone next door then stopped at my birds water...

I have one of my little bitties in with Lafiat tonight. oh he is getting so spoiled. hah and sick of the amoxi drops.. but he's taking it and event hough outside the big kids have been mean to the little bitties. he has taken her right next to him and acting like a big daddy.. He really is amazing.. I dont know if he's show quality or what but I tell ya I am so impressed with his flock managment skills.. its like watching a good herd Stallion..

thanks again.. for telling me what I needed to hear... I feel soooo much better now...

hugs and smiles )O(
Pink

my take on this is a little different. New chickens stay in quarantine for a while. If they get a respiratory problem, they are euthanized. I have nice chickens and don't want to risk infecting my chickens because of some new ones I bring in. If you have chickens only for the eggs and don't care about selling chicks it probably does not matter. But if you are selling chicks to the public and know that you have chickens that have recovered from a respiratory problem, you may be passing on infections to your customers, which certainly is not fair to them either. I bought chicks that got sick the next day. That was certainly not fair to me at all because I am out the money they cost, plus the gas and time it took to go get them. Unless you have pathology done on the chick you have no idea if what he has is a contagious virus or something simple. I won't take that chance.

I have to say that I am a little unsettled on this issue. Alot of our breeds were in part created by crossing with "local stock", meaning they were adapted to the climate and problems associated with a particular area. I am all for birds with a strong immune system and I do not want to keep my birds in a bubble. They need to be able to handle my conditions. I enjoy the songbirds on my property, and there is a bit of risk involved. That is life. However, the majority of the problems I see people have is related to the trade of the birds.
By all means get your bird better and enjoy him. It sounds like they are pets. Enjoy your pets, but understand that it will not go away though the symptoms may. Your flock will be carriers. For that reason do not give away or sell birds from your flock. Consider the problems you have had. I personally cull sick birds. Fortunately I have only had to do it twice. If my entire flock became infected, then I would cull the entire flock. I see the flock as one organism. I feel more obligated to the flock as a whole than I do an individual. It is important for me to have a clean flock. You have to consider that I do raise my birds for meat and eggs and enjoyment. Culling is something I do every year, though i have never got used to it.
My position is different. I breed my birds, and the health of the flock down the road is related to what I do now. For example, I will not keep chicks with splayed legs or any disorder. I cannot and will not perpetuate the problem in the flock. I will help the birds, but they will be one year layers. If I kept a few birds as pets then my approach would be different. As it is, I like to hatch a bunch of cute chicks every spring. I believe that this is why you will get different views from different people.

 

[Joycats]

Quote:
I have to move my broody hens out into a broody box or else the other hens mess up the hatching. Just make sure you do it fast, move them at night and keep it very dark so they don't get up off the eggs. It helps to have 2 people so one can hold the hen and the other can move the eggs.

 

[Joycats]

Quote:
Amy - I finally had my farm sign printed up and it really seems to be working. People with children are a bit more watchful and nobody has asked to use the bathroom since I put the sign up. Makes me feel better as they can just read it and I don't have to feel rude about telling them.

Also -Big Congrats on the guinea! I've been telling you that you NEED some, now you need some friends for him.

I hope he stays.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Oh yeah, I think the guinea has made himself at home now.
He is all over the backyard, goes into the Muscovy pen to eat and drink in the evenings and followed me around a bit yesterday.
However, he does go down to the edge of the woods and calls (?) for his friends. The only time he makes the noise (it's not clucking or crowing so what do you call it?) is down at the woods so I figure he is calling for his flock.
He was so scared of me at first but I talked soothingly to him and when he followed me down to the barn yesterday and then back up to the house I figure he must be planning on staying. I told him he was welcome, I just wish he would lay eggs!

He stays busy but the ducks and chickens are still watching the new strange creature and do not let him get too close to them.
The first day Jolie tried to run him off but I told her to leave him alone and she did. The horse is still eye balling him. The Guinea had gotten too close to his food bucket the first night and Wimpy doesn't share!

I am sure no one will come looking for a male Guinea and I can't wait to have some hatch and grow up to become his friends. It will be a long while yet and I am sure he will be upset until he gets some buddies.

Now if a pair of peacocks would just wander in I think I would be happy!

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Oh, Joy, the sign sounds great!
I know I should put one up and will get to that by fall. I have very little left available at this time to sell but it helps to be ready, in any case.