Too Early for Feb Hatch-A-Long Thread??

[livhatcher]

I was talking to cheese yesterday, she is my pekin duck. She is so loud and funny My ducks decided to start laying eggs when I wasn't home! they must be pretty good eggs because the dogs didn't complain about them when I made them some yesterday.

I can't let the birds out today so they will be the very definition of "cooped up"--but going to the big city for the day and leaving at 4pm leaves me no time to chase them in, and I hate to leave my husband with 4 kids, 4 dogs and a million chickens to contend with across the dinner/homework hours while this mama has fun. I'll take them extra treats tomorrow!

 

[LilyD]

I did it loosely based on this:
https://healthstartsinthekitchen.com/how-to-fix-splayed-leg-spraddle-leg/
Took two small rainbow loom bands (you know the tiny rubber bands the kids make bracelets with?) and looped them together to basically make a chick ankle loop on both ends. Then I fed it through the short piece of straw with a toothpick, and put either end around the chick's leg, just above the toes. The length of straw forces the feet to plant at standard "shoulder" width apart and the silicone rubber bands hold well, but not too tightly.

I've never had much luck with spraddle leg I'm envious of those that can fix it.

 

[UThobbyfarmer]

Proof that chicken math starts before they even hatch hehe.

Woke up this morning to a little chick experiencing spraddle leg...couldn’t find the vet wrap so I improvised with a couple of rainbow loom rubber bands & a small section of plastic straw. Amazed at how quickly little guy is hobbling around!

also? Who is hatching this week? I’m off until the 19th.

I have 16 eggs set to hatch on Wednesday the 12th and 22 more on Friday the 14th. Should be an exciting week!

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I've never had much luck with spraddle leg I'm envious of those that can fix it.

Have you tried vet wrap/sports wrap/med wrap, whatever you want to call it, lol. I used to do the straw trick and I really struggled with it slipping around, it is truly an art form for the people that manage to get it to stay properly. The wrap on the other hand works amazingly well and was way easier for my fumbling fingers.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I have 16 eggs set to hatch on Wednesday the 12th and 22 more on Friday the 14th. Should be an exciting week!

Whoo hoo!!! I was hoping someone would say they were expecting babies on the 22nd! I needed some chick pictures for my birthday! lol

EDIT: it says 22 not 22nd.

 

[livhatcher]

I have 16 eggs set to hatch on Wednesday the 12th and 22 more on Friday the 14th. Should be an exciting week!

do you mean egg-citing?

 

[livhatcher]

Have you tried vet wrap/sports wrap/med wrap, whatever you want to call it, lol. I used to do the straw trick and I really struggled with it slipping around, ti was truly an art form for the people that manage to get it to stay properly. The wrap on the other hand works amazingly well and was way easier for my fumbling fingers.

I couldn't find my vet wrap and I really have a hard time understanding how to do it without a photo, so...straws it is! Obviously some chicks are less wiggly than others. I had a well behaved one today.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I couldn't find my vet wrap and I really have a hard time understanding how to do it without a photo, so...straws it is! Obviously some chicks are less wiggly than others. I had a well behaved one today.

I'm glad it worked so well for you! You're way better at it than I was from the sounds of it.

 

[FortCluck]

I can't let the birds out today so they will be the very definition of "cooped up"--but going to the big city for the day and leaving at 4pm leaves me no time to chase them in, and I hate to leave my husband with 4 kids, 4 dogs and a million chickens to contend with across the dinner/homework hours while this mama has fun. I'll take them extra treats tomorrow!

I'm sure they'll be fine! We usually just pray that ours go in and are safe till we get home if we go out till late one night which rarely happens. I need to find a person to watch our chickens and ducks when we go on vacation in August.

Our ducks won't even go in the coop anymore now that it's warm but so far they've been really good. I think they go into the little coop they're suck odd animals! They want to party all night long

 

[LilyD]

Have you tried vet wrap/sports wrap/med wrap, whatever you want to call it, lol. I used to do the straw trick and I really struggled with it slipping around, ti was truly an art form for the people that manage to get it to stay properly. The wrap on the other hand works amazingly well and was way easier for my fumbling fingers.

No I used to do the rubber band with the straw between but I think as far as keeping the legs in the right space that they weren't stiff enough and the chick could get them too far apart or up too high on their legs lol.

That and slipped tendon are the only things generally that I have with baby chicks. The slipped tendon usually there's not much you can do but I always try with the spraddle legs. Thank goodness they don't happen often.