Tis Time for a March 2020 Hatch-a-long!

[julskinka]

Splayed legs and curled toes.



Sometimes I've been able to fix them, sometimes not. Curled toes aren't as big of a deal as splayed legs. I had an adult with crooked toes and he lived a happy life. I had one with severe splayed legs and curled toes I finally had to put down. All you can do is give it a chance and hope for the best.

Hmm. I've had splayed legs from chicks that were malpositioned but didn't take a very long time to hatch (think, upside down zipper that makes it out on its own). I assumed it was the malposition (up to 7 days in the same position) and not the duration of the hatch itself that causes the problem. I'll keep an eye out for that.

For splayed legs I've always been able to fix them by making a rubber band brace just above the knees, did a couple of days.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

The cracked one looks less scary to me than the hole one. Would you lose the whole hatch if it went bad or would you just lose that egg?

It's not likely. I check my eggs quite often so I think I would catch if fairly quickly if it were no good. I put nail polish on the cracked egg and a piece of tape on the hole. I haven't put them in the incubator yet so they'll be staggered if I actually decide to put them in tomorrow but I want to make sure the nail polish is completely off gassed. I actually could kick on my bitty Brinsea Mini and incubate them completely separate to be safe.

 

[gmjarvi]

It's not likely. I check my eggs quite often so I think I would catch if fairly quickly if it were no good. I put nail polish on the cracked egg and a piece of tape on the hole. I haven't put them in the incubator yet so they'll be staggered if I actually decide to put them in tomorrow but I want to make sure the nail polish is completely off gassed. I actually could kick on my bitty Brinsea Mini and incubate them completely separate to be safe.

You gotta get out the new bator! Do iiiiiit

 

[Mylied]

Hmm. I've had splayed legs from chicks that were malpositioned but didn't take a very long time to hatch (think, upside down zipper that makes it out on its own). I assumed it was the malposition (up to 7 days in the same position) and not the duration of the hatch itself that causes the problem. I'll keep an eye out for that.

For splayed legs I've always been able to fix them by making a rubber band brace just above the knees, did a couple of days.

That one was really messed up. My husband actually saved it when it was hatching and tried to fix its legs while I was out of town. We really tried since he doesn't usually mess with them. I hated having to put it down.

 

[gmjarvi]

Who's doing the April hatch a long post?

I will have ducklings for that one and chicks. Put the link up if you're going to do the thread.

I also have ducks and chicks for April. Is there not a thread yet? I'll start it if no one else wants to.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I also have ducks and chicks for April. Is there not a thread yet? I'll start it if no one else wants to.

The Easter hatch?

 

[ShannonsChimkens]

I can’t start it. Can’t find Narragansett eggs or Muscovy to hatch yet. But I’ll join in a bit!

 

[gmjarvi]

The Easter hatch?

Yeah I guess I maybe thought Fort meant non Easter babies? My ducks will be in the EHAL but the chickens wont be hatching near enough to count for Easter.

 

[julskinka]

That one was really messed up. My husband actually saved it when it was hatching and tried to fix its legs while I was out of town. We really tried since he doesn't usually mess with them. I hated having to put it down.

I'm sure you did your best!

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Leg 1 is turned inwards and I won’t extend that is the crinkled in one and the 2 is extended and that the one that the toes curl upwards imagine spreading your fingers as hard as you can where then almost then upwards at the ends. Sorry i can’t show the toes but now I already wrapped them

A newly hatched chick is already going to be so wibbly wobbly that it's really hard to say from looking at the pictures. Sometimes they work out the curling in their toes over a few hours, though the army crawl I think I read in one post doesn't sound good.

If one or both of the chick's legs are slipping out to the side then it's probably splay leg which I find vet wrap/med wrap works the best to repair and I'm SO glad someone shared that trick with me last year because the rubber band method is for masterful wizards and I just don't even know how people make it work, lol!

Then there are also deformities that can occur in legs that I more recently learned about that can sometimes be mistaken for slipped tendons.

A multivitamin is a good idea, something with vitamin B2 riboflavin because left issues can commonly be related to this.