Last Thursday, we were surprised when a chick hatched in our incubator. There had been some problems during the incubation period (i.e. mother quit sitting and then was eaten). Now the chick can't stand, its legs fall out from underneath it. We have it separated from the other chick but we don't know what to do. It is our first chick! What do we do??
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/BRKRaisingChicks.html (scroll down for spraddle legs) http://www.poultryhelp.com/spraddle.html This is treatable in the first few days of life.
I've always found that using a small rubberband and a piece of tape put around the middle works best for me. It can be very difficult for them to walk when first adjusting to the brace. Sometimes you might not have the proper spacing between their legs which could also cause them to fall over when they try to walk. Here's a great site that might help: http://sites.google.com/a/larsencreek.com/chicken-orthopedics/leg-braces
We are trying the "chick cup" method. It is eating and drinking well but tends to flop on its face when we take it out of its seat. I talked to the people at MyPetChicken.com and they said to leave it in the seat for a few days and then lower the "seat" so its feet are on the ground. We are to keep the legs bound with a pipe cleaner until it can walk well. Will keep updates. What we do for our animals!! Thanks for all your help!
