Splayed Legs

[BrandonsBirbs]

Consider it a genetic condition (otherwise why are not all the hatch-lings displaying the same condition if it was an incubation/hatch anomaly as many chose to believe) and cull them from your breeding stock instead of fixing them and letting it hide to breed forward is my sincerest suggestion.. it's not culling for no reason.. it's to me a very good reason, IF I'm the one keeping the breeding stock and hatching more in the future..

Another cause can be riboflavin deficiency.. maybe your breeding stock could use some supplementation.. OR sometimes it's even just an individual that needs a little more help to make eggs viable for hatching even if they have enough nutrients on board for their own health.

Maybe use a smaller based diameter but taller cup??

Sorry I can't be more help.

See this is where I am confused. Originally I assumed these splayed legged chicks I've recently got are from my old pal and disabled runt (now deceased) of a beaut, Birdie.

However, I've seen online quite a few places saying splayed legs are not a genetic defect so I was starting to assume I was doing something wrong! -- even though I've been doing it this way this whole year and previous hatches never had these issues!

So, it can be genetic? In which case I full agree with your point of view. Thanks for commenting!

 

[GingerRose]

Consider it a genetic condition (otherwise why are not all the hatch-lings displaying the same condition if it was an incubation/hatch anomaly as many chose to believe) and cull them from your breeding stock instead of fixing them and letting it hide to breed forward is my sincerest suggestion.. it's not culling for no reason.. it's to me a very good reason, IF I'm the one keeping the breeding stock and hatching more in the future..

Another cause can be riboflavin deficiency.. maybe your breeding stock could use some supplementation.. OR sometimes it's even just an individual that needs a little more help to make eggs viable for hatching even if they have enough nutrients on board for their own health.

Maybe use a smaller based diameter but taller cup??

Sorry I can't be more help.

My comment is my opinion only. Its reflects on my situation and abilities as a chicken lover (we are all chicken lovers here, even with opposite opinions, and thats alright), AND my personal experience this very past weekend.
Im not judging or criticizing anyone or any other opinion. Its just a different thought process than some. It works for me and some other people i personally communicate with daily. It may not work or even fall in line with anyone else thoughts, beliefs or opinions, and thats everyones American right. And I'm all for different thoughts, opinions and communication of such.
I agree half way with EggSighted4Life. Half agreeable with removing them from breeding stock - 100% for sure. Half, not, with culling, if my definition of culling is the same as EggSighted4Life. I may be wrong, but I believe it to be the same across the spectrum of people.
If the chick seems to be otherwise strong (eating, drinking, pooping, sleeping, moving around - even stumbling) and looks to want to be with the other chicks, I say give it a chance to live. It IS a life.
If you have the room, patience and a little dedication, it can have a happy chicken life with other docile, mild tempered chickens. No squabbling or hatching eggs allowed.
I have actually rescued a few splayed chicks and I have had 3 or 4 hatch naturally under hens, over many years of raising poultry. "Under hens" being the focus of that. Some I have successfully helped their mobility, some I could only straighten a little, but it was still better than the start.
None of the double leg splayed chicks have survived. I didn't cull them, I loved them and made sure they weren't suffering. Nature took its course, as it would if I weren't involved.
If you have the room, patience and nerve, they can live and be happy chickens.
I don't breed my chickens, peafowl, ducks etc.. for profit. I will sell some, if someone wants to pay for them, and I have let some hatch, just for certain people who did want to buy some of my chickens offspring. They are an extension of our home and family.
I don't know anything of splaying to be genetic or not.
I'm not here to debate it either, nor will I. I am interested in researching this though. I'm not closed minded.. (calm down grammar police, LoL).
I did, just this weekend, experience a horrible incubation situation where the humidity was very low throughout the whole 21 days, and I had MANY splayed chicks, single leg splay and double splay legs. 3 different breeds. Our poultry, all of them, get supplements and lots of greens, fruits and veggies. Bugs, tadpoles, lizards anything my grandchildren can capture and offer daily.
I don't incubate often, every other year or two. This is the only time I had spraying from the incubator.
Yes, my 2 hygrometers were calibrated prior to putting my eggs inside.. Something was wrong, too late to figure out those details. I tossed the hygrometers and will NEVER incubate ever again. Horrific lesson learned.
I have a separate post called
"Letting off some steam" from a few days back about this whole situation.
My opinion is just that #1, you don't have to cull, nature will intervene. When we aren't involved, nature always does what should be done. 2.) If you intend to breed and sell chicks absolutely keep any and all born defects out of breeding stock, because we don't always know if it's genetic or human error. Don't chance it. Defects from accidents don't count.
Again, these are my opinions and thoughts. It don't line up with everyone's time and abilities.

 

[kcult]

I've only had one quail chick with splayed legs.

My wife is a nurse and she had some sticky gauze in her IFAK.

I tried to make a brace for the legs, but it wouldn't stay on longer than just a few minutes, so since it was a Saturday and I was not at work, and the chick was only a couple of hours old, I just put it in my cupped hand for 10 to 15 minutes, every hour. After the third "session," it was fine.

As far as I'm concerned, forcing it to push its legs against the meat of my manly, therapeutic hands, helped it build those little quail muscles and ligaments. That day was leg day, and pip squeak didn't skip it.

I'll do it again, and I expect the same results.

Failure is not an option.

I should become an inspirational speaker.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

See this is where I am confused. Originally I assumed these splayed legged chicks I've recently got are from my old pal and disabled runt (now deceased) of a beaut, Birdie.

However, I've seen online quite a few places saying splayed legs are not a genetic defect so I was starting to assume I was doing something wrong! -- even though I've been doing it this way this whole year and previous hatches never had these issues!

So, it can be genetic? In which case I full agree with your point of view. Thanks for commenting!

It can be very confusing because there's tons of information and misinformation. And so many sources just repeat what they saw at another source without any observation or experience of their own.

My analysis and understanding according to my experience and research.. is it can be caused by a few things and genetics is definitely one of them. Can doesn't always mean is, so it's entirely possible that it isn't genetic.

Looking at the clues to me helps discern possibilities.. ie.. was there a power outage during incubation, is this a new brooder flooring type, how many were effected verses how many were perfectly viable, is it a certain breed (or line) if more than one is being incubated, etc.. details matter!

All my chicks were incubated/hatched the same way, on the same surface without issue until.. enter a certain breed.. and only a couple of splaylegs hatched.. My feed was spot on not diminished by treats.. that's genetic.. even if it was a vitamin deficiency (because the specific hen wasn't absorbing enough for viable chicks)... Traced down to an individual.. via compulsion. Along this line.. there are many details to recall that led me to this conclusion and are not included here.. 100% in SOME instances I do believe it *can* be genetic.. and is too often dismissed as incubation or hatch tray conditions.. I hatched more than a thousand chicks for reference. Incubation parameters were also dialed in and tight.. personal experience is at first anecdotal..

I'm open minded too, never stop questioning.. So much book knowledge turned out wrong. New knowledge surfaces all the time! Traditional knowledge I was searching this weak for example says chickens can't get hookworms.. yet there are some being diagnosed via fecal floats as positive.. Turns out when kept on common ground with dogs who carry them can also become infected with hookworm and so can humans.. ( link not relevant to current conversation other then example relative to this specific paragraph)..
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/hookworms-and-chickens.856657/

Early on.. I fixed one with success and quickly lost track of it among the brood. Had a couple others I had to cull after all possible treatments failed. The lost track one convinced me that fixing splay is NOT up my alley, because I DO breed my stock and accidental mixing just ain't worth it. I value life.. and therefore now cull via dispatch immediately.

if my definition of culling is the same as EggSighted4Life. I may be wrong, but I believe it to be the same across the spectrum of people.

Culling to me is removing from ones own breeding flock by whatever means deemed appropriate by the keeper.. whether it be euthanasia, harvest, composting, dog/barn cat food, rehoming to a non breeding home, keeping a disabled pen.. or whatever can be done humanely which also includes doing what supports the keepers conscience.

I agree there is no right answer for everyone across the board as we clearly have different goals, resources, conditions, experiences, thought processes, etc.. and these type of choices are never truly easy. Sorry for your hatch disaster!

 

[Egger4me]

Vet wrap works great. Can’t even tell anything was wrong with them after two or three days.

 

[GingerRose]

It can be very confusing because there's tons of information and misinformation. And so many sources just repeat what they saw at another source without any observation or experience of their own.

My analysis and understanding according to my experience and research.. is it can be caused by a few things and genetics is definitely one of them. Can doesn't always mean is, so it's entirely possible that it isn't genetic.

Looking at the clues to me helps discern possibilities.. ie.. was there a power outage during incubation, is this a new brooder flooring type, how many were effected verses how many were perfectly viable, is it a certain breed (or line) if more than one is being incubated, etc.. details matter!

All my chicks were incubated/hatched the same way, on the same surface without issue until.. enter a certain breed.. and only a couple of splaylegs hatched.. My feed was spot on not diminished by treats.. that's genetic.. even if it was a vitamin deficiency (because the specific hen wasn't absorbing enough for viable chicks)... Traced down to an individual.. via compulsion. Along this line.. there are many details to recall that led me to this conclusion and are not included here.. 100% in SOME instances I do believe it *can* be genetic.. and is too often dismissed as incubation or hatch tray conditions.. I hatched more than a thousand chicks for reference. Incubation parameters were also dialed in and tight.. personal experience is at first anecdotal..

I'm open minded too, never stop questioning.. So much book knowledge turned out wrong. New knowledge surfaces all the time! Traditional knowledge I was searching this weak for example says chickens can't get hookworms.. yet there are some being diagnosed via fecal floats as positive.. Turns out when kept on common ground with dogs who carry them can also become infected with hookworm and so can humans.. ( link not relevant to current conversation other then example relative to this specific paragraph)..
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/hookworms-and-chickens.856657/

Early on.. I fixed one with success and quickly lost track of it among the brood. Had a couple others I had to cull after all possible treatments failed. The lost track one convinced me that fixing splay is NOT up my alley, because I DO breed my stock and accidental mixing just ain't worth it. I value life.. and therefore now cull via dispatch immediately.

Culling to me is removing from ones own breeding flock by whatever means deemed appropriate by the keeper.. whether it be euthanasia, harvest, composting, dog/barn cat food, rehoming to a non breeding home, keeping a disabled pen.. or whatever can be done humanely which also includes doing what supports the keepers conscience.

I agree there is no right answer for everyone across the board as we clearly have different goals, resources, conditions, experiences, thought processes, etc.. and these type of choices are never truly easy. Sorry for your hatch disaster!

We have the same definition of culling. I am going to read about the splaying, I guess on all sides of the subject. I love to learn about anything g that completely confuses me...
I'm an artist by my nature.. no book smart or sense in here.. LoL.

 

[GingerRose]

I've only had one quail chick with splayed legs.

My wife is a nurse and she had some sticky gauze in her IFAK.

I tried to make a brace for the legs, but it wouldn't stay on longer than just a few minutes, so since it was a Saturday and I was not at work, and the chick was only a couple of hours old, I just put it in my cupped hand for 10 to 15 minutes, every hour. After the third "session," it was fine.

As far as I'm concerned, forcing it to push its legs against the meat of my manly, therapeutic hands, helped it build those little quail muscles and ligaments. That day was leg day, and pip squeak didn't skip it.

I'll do it again, and I expect the same results.

Failure is not an option.

I should become an inspirational speaker.

Rite on.

 

[Wandering_r0gue]

This was what I did, and it seems to be working very well. The little dude was sliding around abs getting worse, now he's running around with the rest of them. I tried tape, elastic and straws etc, and it would either slip or of it, or lay on its belt and cry. Doing it with string, it has been motoring around without issue. Took a bit of trial to get the right length.