Spradle leg and curled toes

[tcooper23]

So my hatching is almost finished but around half of my chicks have curled toes or spradle leg

I tried with all sorts of things i could find around the house to try to fix it but they wouldnt stay still enough for me to put the things on.

Does anyone have a way for spradle leg and curled toes that i can try? thanks

 

[LaurenM23]

I'm sure that many more more experienced peeps will answer (and probably correct me), but isn't the spraddle leg situation something that occurs in the time following hatching (as in from keeping them on newspaper or other slippery surface). Might they be showing signs of this or curled toes because they haven't been out long enough to straighten out and stretch yet? I have read a few posts from other members who had curled up babies that straightened out just fine on their own after a day or two. I'm not sure how old your babies are, either, though. Good luck!

 

[tcooper23]

These have all hatched around the same time (within 12 hours of each other) and only 1 or 2 seem to have spradle leg. They are 12 hours old.

I used a rough surface paper towel for the incubator and the brooder but it could be at hatching time the papertowel got too wet and they were slipping a little.

There was also one with a really deformed beak that i had to cull

I really hope you are right about the curled toes straightning their selves! Nonetheless i am going to try to straighten them tonight when i buy first aid tape.

 

[LaurenM23]

I'll keep you all in my prayers and hope that the toes straighten.

I have heard of using the tape to act as splinting, so it seems you're on the right track, there. Hopefully, some of our experts will chime in and give you some solid advice!

 

[BeccaB00]

Wait a few minutes I'm gonna do a step by step thing for you. I will post it on this thread when I am done.

 

[BeccaB00]

Ok you will need 1 band-aid to fix the spraddle leg.

1.) Cut the band-aid in half (longways)

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2.) Wrap the ends of the band-aid around the chick's ankles. leaving the small soft part of the band-aid in between the chicks ankles

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Leave it like this for 5 days, then remove the band-aid. Most the time this works GREAT. If the chick still can't walk after 5 days, Try again. Repeat the same steps you did before. SOmtimes it takes a few trys to get the chick walking.

OH! btw. BE SURE you have about an hour to spend with the chick after putting the band-aid on. Somtimes they can kill themselves.

good luck!

 

[pgpoultry]

DO try the band aid. I have used it on a number of occasions with great success. The chick is immediately upright and will try to walk and even to scratch pretty well straight away. There should not be a long term problem. If they have the odd curly to again this will not impair their ability to function so don't lose heart.

Sandie

 

[tcooper23]

Thanks alot everyone. I am already seeing less and less of the curled toes

and i will treat the chick with the spradle legs with that thanks

 

[Scubadeaux]

BeccaB00 thank you for the post, VERY helpful to have!!!

tcooper23 lots of prayers and

I hope this works!! Glad to hear things look better!

 

[LaurenM23]

Yay Becca! How great that you had photos to boot!

OP, I really hope that these tricks work out for you and that the toes are stretching out as they're moving around. Please report back on the results of trying the bandaid for the spradle, okay?