This post is all about chick leg problems.
Chick leg problems come with the chick raising territory! Whether your chicks legs are splayed out, their toes are curled under, or they are walking on their elbows, leg problems are pretty common in chicks. Here we will talk about what causes these problems and how you can fix them.
Splay LEgs
Splay legs is when the legs of your chick are splayed out to the sides. This can range in severity, with severe cases lying on their tummies and their legs useless to their sides. With help these cases can get better, though it is somewhat intensive. Without help these chicks die more often than not.
Curly Toes
Curly Toes or crooked toes is what is sounds like, your chicks toes will be curled in and they won’t be able to uncurl them. I have a hard time catching this one, I usually see this in conjunction with the chick walking on elbows. People have treated this with some success, but again it is intensive and may be impractical especially if you have a lot of chicks.
Chick Walking On ELbows
Perfectly healthy looking chicks will walk on their elbows, this typically happens closer to when they hatch, though it can happen weeks afterwards.
Causes
Nutritional
Nutritional deficiency contributes to and causes all of the leg problems we have talked about. Low levels of riboflavin (Vitamin B2) and Vitamin D are the culprits here, though it is especially riboflavin. If you are concerned about a chick or want to prevent other chicks from getting leg problems put them on a diet high in riboflavin and vitamin d. You can purchase a riboflavin supplement here on Amazon, or you can give some egg yolks and that helps supplement their vitamin needs.
Incubation and Hatching Problems
Some leg problems are caused by improper humidity or temperature during incubation, making the chick stick in the shell and causing leg problems. Problems can also be caused by a nutritional deficiency in the breeding stock used. And problems can also arise if the eggs were more than ten days old when they were placed in the incubator. Make sure if you are purchasing chicks from a hatchery that they are a reputable hatchery with good practices.
Environmental Contributors
Next to nutrition, a slippery brooder floor is probably the most common cause of leg problems. Avoid newspaper or any slippery medium for your chicks floor. Over crowding at the feeders and waterers can also cause leg injuries and thus problems in chicks.
How to Help CHick Leg Problems
Start by making sure your chicks brooder isn’t causing the problem. Remove slippery or overly wet bedding and surfaces from your brooder. Ensure that there isn’t crowding at the feeders.
It is a MUST to supplement riboflavin. The sooner the better, as Riboflavin only works as a treatment if given early on. You can purchase a B Vitamin supplement from your local farm store, or you can purchase a B2 supplement on Amazon here. There is also this I just put some egg yolks (which are relatively high in riboflavin) in the broiler and let the chicks feast on those. Some people also recommend adding nutritional yeast to their chicks diet as another source of that B2 vitamin.
When dealing with splay legs some people will put hobble type things on their chicks legs trying to help the chick hold their legs together. I have never done this personally, but here is a good article covering how to do it. This lady uses vet wrap to do it, though I have seen other do it with normal Band-aids. Keep in mind that even with splinting some cases of splay leg won’t heal.
When dealing with curly toes you can also retrain the toes by taping the toes flat. You tape individual toes in vet wrap (find vet wrap on amazon here) or make chick “sandals” out of cardboard that will help hold the toes of your chick flat. Here is an article that talks about this in greater detail.
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