Splayed legs

The troubles don't seem to want to go away..

First with good news, Chiaras and Bosses babies do fine, very well actually. Chiara seems to be a lot more energetic now that Boss has finally started to help her with the chicks. This though didn't happen until I had taken the hen away a couple of times. Chiara has also stopped being as protective with the babies as she was before, maybe due to me handling her and her remembering that humans are not all the bad after all.

I'm hoping some of them getting out of the next box already this week so that it wouldn't be so crowded! Number 1 and 2 have lovely long feathers already.

But then to this tight sitting hen, Lilja... Her good intentions seem to have caused her babies even more harm, now the splayed legs sydrome. I noticed this on sunday morning, was suspecting it already when I ringed number two on saturday, but when I had to renew the banding as the ring had fallen off, I could very well see that both number 1 and 2, possibly also number 3 have developed the splayed legs syndrome. Splayed legs can also be caused by malnutrition and/or too slippery nest box floor, I've never had it before in my breeding.

Oh well...

It hasn't been easy, from sunday morning I've tried to make a band around the legs that would be soft and flexible enough, but also that it wouldn't fall off. First one with a thin textile rubber band which I had knotted was too tight, and because I had to tie it with a piece of tape in the middle, some shavings had got stuck into the tape and were sticking towards the babys belly. So I removed it. Today then I've first tried foam (plastic sponge foam) with wholes in it, but it got immidiately off and now as the latest trick a "vet wrap" cut into a suitable length with tiny holes for tiny feet. It has proven a little better, at least the chicks position themselves very nicely with it, can move their feet, and it doesn't seem to get to their way, but it has come off once at least. So I've tried wrapping it around itself between the legs, so that the feet holes get a little smaller. It has worked so far. I think I could wrap it once more, if it would still keep falling off.

The youngest chick seems to be un affected, but I have to monitor them all - also in order to make sure the wrap works safely and that it stays put. I'm keeping my fingers crossed so tight, that these babies will make it without any further trouble 💓

Wrap working correctly on chick nr 2
Feet have space to move freely, but won't let them get too separated.

Wrap had fallen off and feet are apart again