Chicks with this impediment have difficulty walking and may not move much at all. Their legs can be severely splayed to the side – as if the chick is doing the splits – or have a mild splay that can makes it difficult for the chick to get around easily. Regardless of the degree of disability this needs to be addressed quickly. Often the chick only needs assistance for a day or two to resume a normal life. This is usually an easy fix.
Causes: Can range from nutritional deficiencies, temperature fluctuations during development, injury or even slick flooring conditions after hatching.
If you discover it’s the flooring conditions in the brooder this will need to be addressed. I like using rubber mats that have a soft texture and are easy to clean and give the babies something to grip and have traction. These can be found at many stores or online. Paper towels can also be used.
Tools:
- Vetrap (you can use any firm material with enough elasticity and comfort to allow the chick to walk including stretchy bandaids, hair ties, etc) I always have vetrap on hand so it’s what I reach for first, also some babies are prone to pecking at anything red so I avoid using this color vetrap.
- Scissors
- Vitamins approved for chicks (follow directions on bottle).
- If possible, a different brooder to keep the injured chick separate so it won’t get picked on while it’s recovering.
Directions:
The goal is to create a hobble that will keep the chicks legs under it and won’t allow the legs to splay outward. Take care not to cut off circulation or make it so tight the chick can’t walk.
- There are several ways to secure the legs so don’t be hard on yourself if it takes a few tries with a wiggling chick.
- Cut the vetrap into strips – you’ll may need to measure depending on what breed or species of bird you have.
- The easiest for me is using one long strip. Gently wrap around one leg a couple times then take it across to the other and do the same thing. You can also cut 3 strips – one for each leg and one to bind both legs together under the body.
- Usually the chicks are ready to run on their own in less than 48 hours.
Spraddle Leg is often, but not always accompanied by curled toes. To fix curled toes click here: