chick with eggs widely spaced

C

chickenfan

Active member
Joined
Mar 9, 2013
Messages
1,049
Reaction score
0
I have a 3-day old chick with legs too wide apart (still not worked out how to compress and upload photos!), but which is running around. I've tried bracing with rubber band, sports tape etc, but it manages to get out of these quickly. Will the issue gradually right itself as it takes more excercise?
 
I use paper and latex tape because it sticks well to itself, but doesn't stock to their legs…
 
What sort of paper and latex tape Kat? I've used a self-sticking bandage/vet-wrap but it is off in less than a minute.
 
Chick finds it very uncomfortable having anything around its feathered legs. It is improving slowly (now 4 days old) but the legs are still too far apart and one leg goes out to one side a bit. It is on a non-slip surface. Is this enough, or should I still be trying to hobble it while the bones are soft?
 
As this chick is the only one to hatch from a whole clutch that failed to break out of the eggs, it's very likely that it's going to always be disabled to some extent, whatever you do. You know all about the social problems of trying to raise a single chick, and if it lives you will end up with a bird that is not pefectly healthy and normal, so you couldn't breed from it, and there may be other underlying problems as well as lameness. I hope I don't sound too hard hearted when I say there is no point in raising any chick that isn't strong and apparently normal in every way, or in inflicting treatment which may distress the chick and probably not work. Nature may be telling you something if this hatch from an elderly cockerel was not successful, and if you want your flock to improve rather than to weaken, it should be survival of the fittest only, I feel.
 
Hi Marigold, it has 4 other chick companions of another breed, so is not alone. It is a strong, happy and healthy chick. I would never breed from a bird which is not 100% but this doesn't mean I don't want to ensure I do the best for this one to give it a good life. I only breed from a very small number of birds to keep their particular qualities going.
 
Thanks Marigold. Bridget is looking very normal today! I just gently pushed her legs into the right position for an hour or two last night and they seem to have stayed that way - obviously how they wanted to be. Was determined to get her right after your post! Perhaps her parents were a bit low on vitamin D from being in a covered run for years (cover now off on sunny days) or perhaps I should have put something on the incubator floor.
 
Unfortunately I've discovered another problem - she has feathers growing under her feet.
 
That's a relief. What happened with the feathers under the feet? (Just in case it happens to us sometime)
 
Hi Rick, the feathers were bent under her feet but seem to have righted themselves naturally as they grew. I'm not going to risk breeding from her 4-year old parents again, although they are great birds and have laid all winter.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top