Is there a way to fix a baby birds legs?

Question

I don't remember what it's called, but one of my baby birds legs have grown to stay spread out. I read on the internet that this happens when they are kept on a flat surface for too long as they grow. I am still hand feeding this baby bird, but I think he might stay this way, but I don't know why because he wasn't always on flat surfaces, anyway, is there a way to fix his legs? He's a Quaker.

Answer 1

im sure a vet could help you better than we can

Answer 2

It's called spradle leg, chicks get it sometimes also. You can take a band-aid and band-aid his feet together and make a little boot so his legs don't spread. But if it's 10 weeks and it's been like this that long, it may be too late, I know with chickens you have to do it soon after they hatch.

Answer 3

Do you mean he's older than 10 weeks? If so, you're really, really, really, late in helping fix this poor chick.

It's referred to as Splay leg, or some variation there of depending on who you talk to. If you catch it when the chick is very young it's very easy to correct by hobbling the chicks legs together, or otherwise finding a way to keep them together correctly under the chick, there are tons of ways people go about it depending on the size of the bird and what they have available. Correcting the substrate the chick is being kept on is a must as well- too many people try to just use newspaper or paper towels which offer no support. If it's not the substrate, it could be trauma, or sometimes a lack of calcium in the chicks diet or other medical issue is the cause.

Once the chick gets older correcting the problem completely gets harder.The longer a chick is left with splay legs, the longer they have to calcify that way. Once a chick is full grown (very short time), it can be so bad that only surgery can be a fix.

I've included a link that's got some good basic advice, and ideas with pictures on how to hobble or use a sponge to keep the birds legs in place.

Answer 4

Their is a chance that you have waited to late but here is a web sight to help you with some information to correct the problem good luck and for the parrots sake l hope you can correct this l have a handicapped bird his parents trampled him broke his leg is back isn't right and he is splay legged he gets around good and happy but has to use beak to pull himself around l feel vary bad for him.

Answer 5

Well I don't know what it's called either, but I think that it's not just a flat surface that has caused this. It is usually caused by having a slippery floor where it can't grip very good like newspaper. When it happens to chickens they usaully tie a band around their legs and keep it on there kind of like a brace. But I don't really know, it's never happened to my chickens.