Splayed Legs
What are splayed legs?
Rowboat, in the photo above is a classic example of an adult bird with splayed legs. Splayed legs occurs when a bird's legs grow spread out at angles, rather than straight underneath the bird like normal, so it looks like he is always doing the splits.
What causes them?
Splayed legs are most often caused when the chick is raised in a nest box with insufficient nesting material. The mother hen sits too tightly on the chicks, squashing them against the hard floor of the nest box, causing their their legs to grow out to the sides, rather than underneath them, as they normally would.
What do you do about them?
This is something that can only be corrected in the first few weeks of life. There are two ways to do this.1. Tie the legs together in such a way as to bring them to about the right width apart under the bird. I find that paper bandaging tape works best on this. (The paper self-sticking kind that you use to put gauze pads on a wound.)
or.... 2. Take a small make-up sponge (as you would use to apply makeup) and cut two small slits, big enough to slide the feet through, about 1/2 inch apart. Slide the feet through (carefully) and he/she should be able to walk almost immediately. *But be very careful to check the legs at least daily for swelling. If the sponge is too tight, it can cut off circulation, evident in swelling of the legs.*
Leave the bandage or sponge on for two weeks (replacing as necessary) and by the time you remove it, their feet should remain in place.
How do you prevent splayed legs?
Preventing splayed legs is very easy, provided the cause is environmental. The best way to prevent splayed legs is to be sure the nest box has lots of nesting material. I always line the nest box with at least 2 or 3 inches of pine shavings (NOT cedar, as it is toxic to birds!) and then provide plenty of nesting material for them to build on top of this: "fan" palms, weeping willow, honeysuckle...
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