Splayed Leg. Photo Credit: Kelcie Faber Paulis Splayed legs and/or curled toes can occur both when a mother hen hatches out babies or when eggs are hatched in an incubator. sometimes, these conditions are caused by vitamin deficiencies present in the mother and/or father. early times, something has gone wrong during brooding ( which can besides lead to developmental issues and/or vitamin lack ). There are besides instances where a dame may come out with no apparent consequence but does not have enough traction in their environment to develop correctly. Regardless of the reason, it ’ second just thus sad to see a baby dame suffer .
Curled Toes. Photo Credit: Kelcie Faber Paulis
Starting out Right
First off, I want you to be certain to offer your new chicks bedding with good grip. If you ’ ve watched my video recording Raising Baby Chicks the Chickenlandia Way, or taken any of my in-person classes, then you know that my recommendation for their first few days is good old fashioned paper towels. not only do composition towels provide capital grip for developing legs and feet, but it ’ s besides easier for chicks to find their run and grit when sprinkled about the incubator. For more, watch this video recording :
If you have a baby dame that arrives with dislocate legs or curled toes, it ’ second safe to say that there was an issue long before they got to you. Your best course of action will be to focus on both physical therapy and a solid nutritional plan. Along with a effective quality non-medicated feed ( medicated feed can affect a dame ’ s absorption of Thiamin, which you don ’ t lack ), I recommend vitamin therapy with a product called Nutri-Drench. It ’ s not quite ampere lifelike as other products I use, but you merely can ’ thyroxine beat its effectiveness. I recommend administering it undiluted at least three times a day. The early chicks can drink it diluted in their water ( follow the directions on the bottle ) .
Your Action Plan
The most common physical therapy used for splay legs and/or curled toes is to create a makeshift splint using a bandage or record. The mind is, after a certain time of forcing the peg or toes into the adjust put, the trouble will correct itself.
Correcting Splayed Leg with a Splint. Photo Credit: Kelcie Faber Paulis I know this method acting has worked for a draw of people and I ’ thousand surely not against it, but when I ’ ve done it this way I ’ ve found the method acting cumbersome to the chick. That ’ mho why I was so please when my friend Stacie from the YouTube Channel Chicken Hues posted this video about a “ glass method acting ”. With a small glass for physical therapy and Nutri-Drench for vitamin therapy, she got amazing results ( and so did the chicks ! ).
sometimes, no amount of discussion will correct a difficult case of splay leg and/or curled toes. As wimp keepers, we learn quickly that from prison term to time our best efforts can ’ t defy nature. Chickens are so resilient, though, and It ’ s not unheard of for them to live a fine life with these abnormalities. For those times when their fiddling life is not meant to be, it ’ mho estimable to know they were loved while they were with us. Have you always dealt with splay leg or curled toes in a baby dame ? What was your experience like ? Let me know in the comments !
