[sioux57]

 Like to hear from anyone who has had this problem I am new to incubating chicks and would hate for this to be a result of anything I may have done or not done. It is really upsetting as you wait and nurture the eggs with care only to have the little cuties crawling around unable to stand up it's heart wrenching. Have heard it could be genitic or due to the time they take to hatch. If you look at my post hatching eggs you can read what happened. Have got towelling in brooder box have not used slippy news paper, could it be the incubator floor? Any advice really welcome Sue.

[jobson336]

cant help you with the cause as you sound like you have the brooder floor sorted as this can make them splayed if slippery. I found that my rom com 20 incubator floor did get slippy when a few of them were hatchinig and i had 1 with splayed legs.

there is a link on here some where (others maybe able to advise) that shows how to correct it. I wrapped a plaster (band aid) around their legs, tight enough to hold legs in place but they could still walk and it corrected problem. Needs to be done in the first few days though.
if you look on You Tube it will probably show you on there how to do it.
 

[joyfull]

This is Jobson 336's method:-
http://www.poultryhelp.com/spraddle.html  hope this helps  .

Or you could try this method:-

I have never had splay/spraddle leg with a broody but Grannie Annie recently hatched me some sabelpoots in her incy and Hobble had a double splay. to treat (I bought these off ebay - bit of a con but now can make my own by copying the idea) - take a small elastic band and slide a bit of tube (eg from a drinking straw) over it then fit the chicks legsinto the two end loops to pull them back together.

[joyfull]

If you read this:-

http://www.bluequaker.com/Art-037.htm

besides the flooring causing splay/spraddle leg it mentions the incorrect temperature which is something I have heard about before.

[sioux57]

The brooder floor is ok but think maybe it could have been the incubator I left them in for a day after hatching, because the 1st chick was on his feet and was fine but looking back the last chick difinately came out like it. Have taped their legs together today but may use straw technique later that someone used with good effect. Waiting now on broody hens clutch due today or tomorrow, she is sitting on buff lace wyandottes got all my eggs from ebay. Hope they hatch ok, thanks for advice ect going to get some slip proof matting have you used that?

[GrannieAnnie]

Our incubator has a big plastic tray for a hatcher at the bottom.  I also line that with the non slip matting that you can buy from the pound shops.  It does usually help if you get a straddle leg.  I've only ever had one or two with it.

Also the temperature on our incy is very good.  The alarm goes off if it varies by as little as 1 degree!  The humidity is easy to get higher, but not easy to get lower!  So I don't know if that makes a difference.

[Helenaj]

I had chicks with spraddle legs and I tried the elastic and straw technique and found it hard work and distressing for the chicks. I came across a site that showed splints made out of a cut pipe cleaner - bend them VERY carefully around each leg and make sure they are not too tight. The padding on the pipe cleaner is soft against the leg, but you must make absolutely sure they are not too tight. It cured the spraddle legs within two days.

I think it was the incubator that caused it in my chicks as they are not put into a brooder with a shiny floor. They were also rare breed and I think that it can be a genetic thing.

[sioux57]

The straw and micro pore tape has worked a little there is some improvement already might try the pipe cleaners tomorrow if I think it will help, got to try every option because at the end of the day they will have to be dispatched and I really don't want that, they are really trying to walk it is such a shame, fingers crossed. Sue

[joyfull]

usually does seem to work even if you have to keep tightening the strap every day or so to do the process slowly. Hobble the little hobbit poot is now running around like mad and you cannot tell he/she ever had a problem so fingers crossed for yours