Spraddle Legs

Spraddle Legs is a condition caused as a result of a newly hatched chick not being able to get good footing in the hatcher or brooder right after hatching.  The photos here are of a Silver Spangled Hamburg chick that hatched in a GQF Sportsman and jumped out of the tray and tried to walk around on the tin foil in the bottom of the incubator for 36 hours.  It's legs were unable to get a grip on the surface and so have slipped out to the sides.  This condition is usually correctable if detected and treated in the first few days.  The idea is to immediately give the chick something it can walk on (paper or cloth towel, wire mesh, etc) and assist it in keeping it's legs under it until it gains strength in it's legs.

If the chick's legs haven't gotten too weak, the adhesive will usually give out about the same time the chick is walking and no longer needs it.  Keep an eye on it and if the bandaid lets go and it still isn't walking on its own, apply another bandaid. We've had to do this four times in some cases.

Once you have successfully restored a chick's ability to walk, you can proudly add "PPT" after your name:   Poultry Physical Therapist