Splayed legs on chick

[pinkdevil]

I discovered today that my little 8 day old IRN chick has both legs splayed. :'(

They looked almost "doing the splits" like.

I took him from the nest and popped him in the brooder while I looked up how to help/fix him.

I followed the sponge remedy. I think I have done it right but not totally 100% sure. :-/

This is what he looked like in the nest....



and this is after the sponge treatment....







I have him in a small container inside a marg container packed with tissue and paper towels for, hopefully, a little more comfort. Plus his new "sister" the soft toy Kookaburra.

I have not raised a chick this young before so am a bit concerned. Any tips/advise for a chick so young?

I have been reading my books and looking on forums and net for info. He just looks so tiny to what I am used to. :-/

I have the temp probe in his container with him so I get an accurate temp that he is feeling.
The temp reads around 32.9 - 33.9 aprox., book says between 31.6 -35. Keeping a VERY close eye on it.

I read feeds should be around 5 or 6 times/day for his age.

He seems a bit more content then when I first popped him in his "sponge bling".
Not fidgeting and seems to be sleeping a bit better.....for the moment anyway.

My heart goes out to this poor little fighter. He lost all his siblings due to mum not doing her job and now this. :-/

So if I have/am doing anything wrong, PLEASE tell me so I can correct it.

Thanks in advance.

[ryelle]

i read about this a while back but ive never seen it before. what i read was about using sponge aswell, and my book says that while they are still growing, aslong as their feet are kept underneath themselves it should fix itself. i dont know anything about baby birds but i think you did good

let us know how he comes along as he gets bigger

[Fah]

I might have missed it, but how old is he... looks quite young.

btw your splayed leg situation looks handled, had a friends bird that was splayed, fixed him up good and proper, was clumbsy as hell copared to other birds his age, however as time went on, and by about a year, you couldnt tell he was any different to the others.

Back to feeding..

Below is a good chart to follow, however, you cannot, deviate in their young days. Ages between 0 and 14 are critical towards their development.

Your handrearing mix should have a good guide as to foruma mixture.

1-4 days Every two hours 1 - 2ml (affraid so)
5-7 days Every three hours 2 - 3ml (again, no choice)
8-14 days 7:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 3:00 PM, 7:00 PM, 11:00 PM 4 - 6ml
15-24 days 7:00 AM, 12:00 PM (Noon), 5:00 PM, 11:00 PM 7 - 10ml
25-34 days 7:00 AM, 5:00 PM, 11:00 PM 11 - 15ml
35-44 days (fledging) 7:00 AM, 7:00 PM 11 - 15ml
45 days to weaning 7:00 PM 11 - 15ml

[pinkdevil]

Thanks ryelle & Fah.

I don't know if it is my imagination or not but he seems a bit better in the legs this morning compared to yesterday.

I checked on him this morning before work and he was in his sponge, but 2 hrs later when I came home he had one leg out of it. Little bugger

Fah he was 8 days old yesterday, but I feel he is a bit small for his age, what do you guys think?

The foster mum had been feeding him as there was alot of food in his crop when I took him.

I fed him last night and he ate well, loves his food.

The crop wasn't empty, or almost empty, before work this morning so I didn't feed him till I got home. Still had a bit of food in it but I gave him a feed with apple sauce in it to try and get it moving a bit quicker.
Also gave his crop a gentle massage to see if that helps.

Thanks for the feeding times. I had found in one of my books and online about feeding times/ages.

I was also told maybe give him extra calcium. I guess in his feed but what should I use? Would calcivet be ok? And at what strength?

I weighed him this morning and he is 17grms with sponge.

This poor little fella had 3 siblings but they all died. He was hatching when I moved him to another IRN who had dud eggs and she has been looking after him. His egg was quite cold when I gave him to the foster hen. Would this have any bearing on his condition?

I have read the causes for splayed legs. The only thing I can come up with is that the foster mum sat too tight or the mother was lacking in calcium.
I give my birds fruit/veg every day and they have access to cuttle bone all the time. Even though my vet said that cuttle bone doesn't really provide them with calcium. More of a beak trimmer.
I will put calcium in their water and see if that helps.

Will keep you updated on the little "Aussie Battler"
The egg

[Fah]

He does look a touch underweight. But they do shoot up quick.

If you are finding the crop empty before daytime feeds, but food processing slow as it sleeps overnight, the nightly feed could possibly be a touch (and i mean just a touch) thinner than the regular mix.

In all honesty, if you are using a quality hand rearing mix, it should all be under control, just keep feeding it, and worry about the suppliments in the water etc as it starts to wean.

You dont want calcivet taking up space in the crop over food especially if its a little undersize. If you are determined to use calcium, I would just consult the vet about your suspisions and ask what dosage would not inadvertantly be to a disadvantage.

[pinkdevil]

Thanks for all that info and your help Fah

The handrearing mix I am using is Vetafarm. I know....some like it, some don't lol

He seems to be settling in quite well now.

He sure does love his food though lol, typical Aussie


Once again, thanks

[Fah]

Cool, I use a crazy amount of handrearing mix, and enough though its not the cheapest stuff on the block, paswells and kaytee are my picks for the variety of birds, and ease of use (cleaning as well ).

Vetafarm is fine and wouldnt need mineral suppliments in this stage. Just whack some calcium (about half reccomended dosage) in the water (calcivet for example) in the first week of weaning, should be plenty to cover your bases, as well as not cause problems.