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

Zara

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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 nest box is the number one cause. A chick in a bare nest box is unable to grab the floor and the weight of the chick forces it´s legs to slide outwards.
Sp.jpg

sp3.jpg

This condition can also be cause by poor diet in the parent birds, the chick positioned inside the egg incorrectly, parents brooding too tightly (putting too much weight on the chicks) amongst other factors.

Is it preventable?
Most of the time, yes. By preparing the nest box/brooder correctly the chick will have good grip and be less likely to develop this condition. Be sure the bottom is lined with at least 4 inches of aspen shavings. If you can't find aspen, you can use coarse pine but not fine pine as it can be easily ingested or inhaled and never use cedar as it is toxic. Press the shavings down gently, and create a nest dent for the chicks, remembering to make sure the bedding is always raised at the edges.
sp1.jpg

If your nest box is not deep and the parents are removing material, here is a tip;
sp2.jpg

Leaving unhatched eggs in the nest, or replacing them if they all hatch with fake eggs will also offer some support for growing chicks and help the parents not brood too tightly.


Is it treatable?
If this condition is noticed early on, it can often be fixed. However if it goes undetected or ignored, the bones will harden and set and the chick will be stuck like this for life.
If you have adopted or bought a bird that is not a young chick and notice that they have this condition, they can still adapt to their condition and life a happy life given that you adapt their environment to meet their needs.


How can we fix it?
There are a few different ways you can treat this condition. Essentially the legs are held in place by a split while the chick grows, starting by pulling the legs in a little under the bird but not completely and adjusting this each day slowly, pulling the legs in closer until they are back under the bird. Keep the splint on until the bird is able to stand with both legs vertically underneath.
It is recommended to do this with someone helping you. If you cannot manage to get any of the methods to work, or your bird removes all the types of splints you try, visit an avian vet as soon as possible for them to do it for you.
Methods range from making splints with pipe cleaners, tape, new makeup sponges and so on.
Here is a helpful video demonstrating the tape method;
If you are unsure if you are shortening the tape enough, @Mockinbirdiva suggests to measure the distance from the inside of each leg so you can see your progress with the shortening of the tape. Write it down and keep track of it. Every day, decrease the distance by at least a 1/4 inch until both legs are under the body as they should be.


Helpful links, including more details on how to fix this condition;


Feel free to contribute and post links or information that could help others.


edit 10/01/2024 to fix broken link
 
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expressmailtome

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Thank you for this comprehensive thread!
 

Raptor40

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There’s also a relatively cheap type of wrap called ‘vet wrap’ you can buy online that’s really good. It sticks to itself, instead of skin or feathers like normal tape, so it doesn’t hurt the bird when you pull it off. I have a roll I keep around the house just in case

I’ll attach a link (site is Australian):
Buy Bare Medical Cohesive Single Bandage | 30 Day Returns | The Vet Shed
 

winniezon

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how long do you have until the bones harden?
 

fashionfobie

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I will include a link to a poultry specific splay leg resource. Fluctuations in incubation temperature is another cause of splay leg in chickens.

 

BasilBird

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I there anything dangerous about this? Can something go wrong?
 

Jan Taylor

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I will include a link to a poultry specific splay leg resource. Fluctuations in incubation temperature is another cause of splay leg in chickens.

splay leg in chickens poultry animals is not the same as splay leg in nestlings. That is often from hock slippage slipped tendons perosis. So it cannot be compared to splay leg caused by nestlings with splay leg due to having nothing to grip on the nest floor or wrong substrate. It is not congenital in nestlings it is caused.
 

fashionfobie

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splay leg in chickens poultry animals is not the same as splay leg in nestlings. That is often from hock slippage slipped tendons perosis. So it cannot be compared to splay leg caused by nestlings with splay leg due to having nothing to grip on the nest floor or wrong substrate. It is not congenital in nestlings it is caused.
This was why I posted a chicken specific link to splay leg. They are not the same.

People come to the forum for a wide array of avian questions including chickens. They may search "splay leg" and not realise there is variation.
 

tyler931

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Hey everyone,

A dove family was incubating on 2 eggs on my window for 12 days, but then a predator (most likely a hawk or a crow) attacked. It scared the male and female doves, and appearently took one of the eggs with itself. I was in the garden, rushed to save them but it all happened in seconds.

I waited for parents to return but none came back. As the night was coming i took the egg inside (i put a false egg to the nest so the parents would stay if they came back but nope, they did not), made a diy incubator by searching online and finally had the baby 2 days later. Everything is going well so far, today its 5th day.

The only problem is, today i realized its right leg is not in the correct position, a little bit search and found its called "Splayed leg". I read about the solutions to fix the problem.

I have only one question at that point: If i reshape the nest so it supports the baby to sit in a proper position, will it fix the problem? I am alone and bandaid fix seems to take at least 2 person to not to hurt the baby. I worked on the nest i did, and its now supporting the baby as it is sitting in the right position. Can this work as long as it keep the baby in that position?

As the baby is just 5 days old, i believe this will work but just wanted to take other opinions about the solution. I just thought that as long as the legs stay as they supposed to, then there is no need for bandaids or other solutions. Am i right?

Any answer is much appriciated, thank you in advance.
 

tyler931

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UPDATE:

After reading the messages on this topic and a bit more searhing online i did a few things and the baby dove's legs are back to normal as they are supposed to.

1- Reshaping the nest: I put the napkins off the nest as they are kind of slippery and makes the baby's legs slide so much. Also reshaped the new nest which i made by some clothes and now it supports the legs, but also gives it some space to move inside and work its legs at the same time.

2- Supplements: As i found out Calcium and Vitamin D3 intake is quite important i ordered a solution of vitamins and minerals. I added this to Nutribird A21 formula and started to feed the baby on this mixture. (I was feeding the baby on Nutribird A21 from the moment it hatched, just added the vitamin solution after the leg problem just incase of a calcium deficiency)

3- Sunlight: The baby's nest box was pretty far away from taking any light and i was keeping the box closed other than feeding to keep the inside temperature constant. That was a big mistake as the sun is a great source of vitamin d and calcium can not do much without that vitamin. I moved the box close to the window and let it take the sunlight. When the sun comes directly to the nest i either put the box a bit away or put a piece of cloth which keeps the baby safe from direct sunlight but lets the sunlight goes thru a little bit at the same time.

4- Splayed leg bracelets: I found these on Amazon and ordered on different sizes since i didnt know which one would fit a baby dove's legs the best. They are very easy to apply without anyone else needed, unlike bandaid. I didnt put these tho because the baby's legs were all good before the bracelets arrived.

5- Natural calcium: I crashed raw sesame seeds as they have pretty much calcium in them along with other minerals, protein and some healthy oils. I crash them a few minutes before making the formula ready and then add it to the formula.

Thats pretty much everything i did in the last 6 days. The baby started to move its legs normal on the second day, and got stronger each and everyday. Today its the 10th day of this little angel.

I believe these will work pretty much for every bird but especially for doves and pigeons. Hope someone can benefit from all the messages on this topic and help a little baby bird to make a good & healthy start.
 

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