- Splay leg results when the brooder floor surface is too slick for the baby birds to gain traction. A brooder is a special box or coop that provides the right environmental conditions for raising the newly hatched chicks. Cardboard and newspaper are sometimes used to line the bottom of the brooder. But, these create a slick surface and the chicks have a difficult time learning to walk. The result of trying to maintain their balance on a slick surface is that their legs spread apart.
- A baby bird with splay leg will grow into an adult bird with splay leg. These birds will have difficulty in fleeing from predators and maintaining themselves in the social order of their flock. Also, as their bodies grow, their legs will not be able to effectively manage the increasing weight. It may become difficult or impossible for the bird to move about on its own to find food and water, leading to severe impairment or death.
- Sometimes, splay leg can be treated by splinting. There are several home remedies for splinting the legs of chicks in your own backyard flock. One method is to wrap a band-aid or short length of first-aid tape around both legs to provide enough tension to bring them back into proper alignment. It is also possible to fashion a splint with a clean lollipop stick or matchstick and first-aid tape. Be sure to remove the striking end of the match to prevent the burd from ingesting it.
- The best way to treat splay leg is to prevent it. Choose sawdust, or sand for brooder box litter. If this is not an option, or you find the birds are ingesting too much sawdust, you can use newspaper covered with a layer of paper towels. The newspaper helps absorb waste and spills and the paper towels provide traction. Both are inexpensive and easily removed. Paper towels protect the chicks from splay leg and also makes cleanup and maintenance of your brooder box easy.
- All domestic poultry breeds are subject to splay leg syndrome. When choosing a breed for your own backyard flock, you will not be able to select against splay leg. You should consider the purpose you want your birds to serve--do you want to raise meat birds, egg layers, pets or a combination of these? You should consider the size of the bird and the size of your yard. You should also consider the temperment of the bird you want. Some birds are better with children than others. Some are aggressive and others overly passive. If you want birds as pets, you might consider some of the small chicken breeds. They are smart and can be quite affectionate.
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