Baby conure with splayed legs question

[RioCoco]

I have a pair of conures, they are not tame and they have 3 babies 2 weeks old. They are doing ok, the parents are doing a great job at feeding and raising them.
Yesterday, I have noticed that one baby has splayed legs. I think I know how to fix it but I am worried if mom will start picking at the tape until she will hurt the baby.
I didn't pull the babies from parents yet, I wanted to do it a bit later because they are doing fine.
We blocked the entrance to nest to handle the babies once a day, but we didn't feed them.
I am looking for some advice regarding this situation. Thank you!

 

[Zara]

Hi Becky, maybe this will help;

Splayed legs 101 - What is it? How to fix it?

What is it? Spraddle leg, also known as splayed leg(s), is a condition where the legs of a chick are sticking outwards and the chick is not able to support it´s own body weight. A chicks legs should sit vertically under the body and not at an angle. What causes it? Insufficient bedding in the...

forums.avianavenue.com

Be sure to double check your bedding in the box, make sure it´s deep enough.

 

[RioCoco]

Hi Becky, maybe this will help;

Splayed legs 101 - What is it? How to fix it?

What is it? Spraddle leg, also known as splayed leg(s), is a condition where the legs of a chick are sticking outwards and the chick is not able to support it´s own body weight. A chicks legs should sit vertically under the body and not at an angle. What causes it? Insufficient bedding in the...

forums.avianavenue.com

Be sure to double check your bedding in the box, make sure it´s deep enough.

Yes, they have plenty of bedding but they keep removing it. They seem to like bare wood instead. The other 2 babies are fine. I tried to read splayed legs 101 but I can't find anything pertaining to mom picking/killing baby because of it? Thanks so much!

 

[Zara]

Yes, they have plenty of bedding but they keep removing it. They seem to like bare wood instead.

What bedding are you using? They will find it difficult to remove aspen shavings. And you can top up any that are taken daily.
The wooden floor causes splayed legs, it is the most common cause.

I can't find anything pertaining to mom picking/killing baby because of it?

I do not know the likelyhood of a parent killing a young because of splayed legs. If you think your parents are picking on that baby, remove him and house in a brooder.

 

[RioCoco]

What bedding are you using? They will find it difficult to remove aspen shavings. And you can top up any that are taken daily.
The wooden floor causes splayed legs, it is the most common cause.


I do not know the likelyhood of a parent killing a young because of splayed legs. If you think your parents are picking on that baby, remove him and house in a brooder.

I was wondering if they can start picking at the tape and end up hurting the baby. I use paper bedding, which is very light to move it around. Maybe I can try to look for aspen shaving but I was worried they might swallow it. Sorry to bug you, thanks for your answers!

 

[Zara]

Go for aspen, if you can't find it, coarse pine is OK.
Don't use fine pine or cedar.

Personally, I would just remove the splayed legged chick and hand raise them separately for now. That way you can monitor and control everything.

 

[RioCoco]

Go for aspen, if you can't find it, coarse pine is OK.
Don't use fine pine or cedar.

Personally, I would just remove the splayed legged chick and hand raise them separately for now. That way you can monitor and control everything.

So sorry to bug you. I have tried 3 times to tie the legs, as long as the baby is with me, the tape stays on. The moment I put him back in the nest with the parents, the mom removes the tape. I don't get it how she does it but she's doing it so fast!!
Do you think it is ok to remove only one baby or should I remove two, or maybe all three? I am NOT sure what is the best at this point.
I am worried if I leave only ONE in the nest that the mom will notice that 2 are missing?
I'm trying my best to find the option that will allow me NOT to remove all of them. Do I make any sense?
Thank you so much, I really appreciate your help and knowledge.

 

[finchly]

Remove the baby and hand raise. The others are probably ok to leave.

 

[RioCoco]

Remove the baby and hand raise. The others are probably ok to leave.

Thank you!

 

[Sparkles!]

If you’re using paper bedding that the parents are kicking out, all the babies can be at risk for leg issues. Nest boxes really do need to have appropriately deep bedding- aspen has always been my choice.

 

[Zara]

Like Finchly said, just remove the one with the legs that need work.
Then monitor the parents with the other two chicks. They should be ok. If you see the parents picking on any chicks, remove them as you see it.

As for the lone chick, be sure the brooder is set up well, a good few inches of shavings, humidity at 60-65, you can add a snuggle buddy - some sort of soft toy that is the same size as the bird, if you can´t find anything small enough with no loose threads or parts, then you can use a rolled up sock. Set the chick down in the brooder with the soft item.

 

[finchly]

Hey Zara, in the nest box - how deep should the shavings be? Several inches?

 

[Zara]

Minimum of two inches. If you only put an inch, they can sometimes separate it and end up on the hard base.

I have seen people using a hack of taking cardboard, pulling it apart and putting the zig zag part facing up, underneath the shavings in shallower nests, so if the shavings do move or get tossed out, the zig zag will stop their feet from slipping and the legs being stretched apart. It works quite well

 

[RioCoco]

Minimum of two inches. If you only put an inch, they can sometimes separate it and end up on the hard base.

I have seen people using a hack of taking cardboard, pulling it apart and putting the zig zag part facing up, underneath the shavings in shallower nests, so if the shavings do move or get tossed out, the zig zag will stop their feet from slipping and the legs being stretched apart. It works quite well

What a great idea! I will try that as well. I have removed the baby and he’s eating and doing ok so far. Thank you for your help.

 

[Sparkles!]