will a mild splay leg resolve itself?

[John in Binghamton]

Hello all! I just hatched four Speckled Sussex chicks. Three are doing great, but the fourth has a mild case of what I believe to be splay leg. Hatched later than the others (about a day after) and has some mild balance/walking issues--sometimes falls down, and when it sits, its leg is slightly askew. However, it can toddle around and I have seen it eat, drink, and scamper back under the brooder when necessary--it is not quite as active as the other chicks, but it is also a day younger (it is 2 days old and the others are 3.5-3 days old). Do I need to intervene? I tried a bandaid (which it got off) and a hair-tie with a small piece of straw in the middle (which it also got off). Will the balance / walking issues resolve on their own or do I need to try again?

 

[sourland]

It all depends upon the degree I think. It is very important to provide a non slip environment, but in my experience even with that splay leg generally gets worse.

 

[John in Binghamton]

Thanks, sourland! It is on pine chips--I will try to get the hair-tie hobble back on and hope that it helps...