splayed legs

[jamckee]

Hi,
As we are new to breeding ringnecks we are so worried about chicks getting splayed legs....
Can you's advise on the best way to avoid this happening re best nesting materials or whatever we may need to know
thankyou in advanced for your advise....

[U.S Marine]

Just call your local vet or avian specialist about splayed legs.

[Coastal-Birds]

Hi
First thing to do is try to make sure there is enough nesting materials in the box.
Untreated natural wood shaving works best,but sometimes the hen mainly will remove all from the box.If thats the case try another natural product like cane mulch and see if she leaves that.
At worst she removes everything you put in and lays egss then thats when sprawlded legs happen as the young dont have anything to hang onto while standing up for feeds or when the hen sits on them there legs get pushed outwards.
If you get chicks with sprawled legs which i have only ever had 1 of i used soft sponge cut about 50mm long and 12 wide and about 8mm thick.
You cut small crosses at about 30mm apart and place the legs through each hole so this holds the legs in place till the muscles can recover back to normal.These measurements are for about 2-3week old babies so will vary depending on the chicks size but sooner you can do it the better the recovery for the chick.

[Coastal-Birds]

Here is a website showing chickens with wool to keep legs together ,http://stonehead.wordpress.com/2007/06/ ... ayed-legs/
this could work but soft foam i find best as it wont tighten on leg to cut of blood (that is long as holes arnt to tight or the material isnt to hard).Long as the holes are big enough for blood flow yet tight enough to keep the legs together all is fine.
Also sometimes it is not the nest materials nor the hen sitting to tight but the lack of calcium.So when you have young make sure that the parents get alot of foods with calcium in it,such as spinach or cuttlebone or even mineral suppliments that are for calcium.
Vetafarm make a good one called Calcivet but im not sure where you live or if that brand is available to you but there would be some sort you can get.
It can be given in water or better still the ones you can mix with seed is better as that is what the young will be getting alot of for there first 5-6 weeks of there live.
Hope this helps.

[jamckee]

Thankyou so so much. your information has helped us greatly

Prevention is better than cure hopefully we will be able to avoid this problem....

[Jan]

Thankyou so so much. your information has helped us greatly

Prevention is better than cure hopefully we will be able to avoid this problem....

Another way of preventing problems such as splayed legs is by placing some fine river sand inside the nest box, and then you put the wooden shavings ontop of the river sand.
Ringnecks like to throw wooden shavings out the box, if it is not deep enough. The river sand prevents the chicks from getting splayed legs, as the chicks wont slip on the bottom of the nest box. The river sand also prevents the eggs from cracking on the bottom of the nest box incase there is too little shavings. This also keeps the eggs moist, as all eggs needs some moist to inqubate.
Hope this will be of some help.
Chow Jan

[Recio]

Hi everybody;

I agree with Jan: if nestboxes are deep enough (around 50 cm from the hole of entrance), the female will not be able to remove the nest material, and this material will help in keeping moisture and preventing splayed legs.