Spraddle/Splay Leg Solution when nothing else worked.

[Pheonix Rising]

So we had baby turkey with a splay leg and nothing worked. I tried band-aids, rubber bands, string... I even made the little guy a walker like my grandfather uses out of wire. Nothing worked. With the band-aids, rubber bands etc. he would fall forward with his legs out behind and not be able to pull them underneath himself to stand back up. Also the splayed leg was stronger and when he stood he would flip himself to the side. He kept flipping the walker.

I finally came up with this and it worked great.

I started with the plastic fish tank (maybe 12 " x 7" or so) we used as a hospital area but any small box will do, I cut wire mesh to fit the bottom as a floor for better traction and then placed 2 pieces of scrap wood roughly 2" x 2-1/2" x 6" inside on each long side. A smaller square block was on one end. The wood placement created a narrow passage way down the middle and on both ends about 2 or 3 inches wide in the shape of a capital I. The blocks were only 2 inches high so he was able to see all around. The water was on one end and I put the food on top of the end block. The chick was able to walk around with the wood keeping his legs from splaying out and the sides supported his body. He grew stronger and got used to walking normally. After a week or so I was able to take him out and there was never another problem.

I set it back up the same way whenever we got a splayed legged chick after that and it cured them all.

Note: as long as the blocks are anchored and the passage ways are not wider the the chicks body any combination of block placement would work.

Hope this helps.

 

[Tam'ra of Rainbow Vortex]

Great idea!
I have never had a splay legged chick, but if I ever do, I will keep this in mind. I once rehabilitated a cross-legged crow fledgeling, but that was moe of a physical therapy thing. She mostly needed room to try to walk, I believe she had fallen from her nest when all the others were learning to fly. She was unable to stand when here hatch mates were off flying. She eventually learned to fly (in my apartment!) and on one of our frequent trips into the yard, she decided to return to the wild.
Its a great feeling to help a creature overcome such a huge problem and survive when it ordinarily would have died.
Thanks for sharing!

 

[The Lisser]

Could you post a photo or two of the set-up?

Thanks,
Melissa