Splayed Legs
Legs spread out.
When a chick is two or three days old its legs may be seen to be spread out. At this tender age it is impossible to tell whether the cause is rickets or due to the mother sitting too heavy. In either case it is advisable to take the baby away and place it under foster parents, and substitute an older one of five or six days.
To relieve the pressure from the mother's body weight ensure that there are at least two eggs in the nest at all times. Clear eggs can be used if they are warmed previously. After the youngest chick is two weeks of age the practice can be discontinued. By this time they will be stronger and more likely nestle under the wing of the parent rather than below the body. Unfortunately, I know of no cure for rickets and the affected youngster is best destroyed if it develops with the legs spread wide apart. This complaint will rarely arise if a sufficiency of vitamin D is absorbed by the parent hen before breeding commences. Cod liver oil, which is rich in this vitamin, can be added to the normal seed during the autumn and winter months, and as calcium is vital to strong bones, this mineral should be offered all the year round in the form of cuttlefish bone.
If a chick hatches in a nest box which contains a deep concave it stands a good chance of never suffering from splayed legs.A chicks instinct is to stand up ,on a flat surface this is difficult and the legs shoot out sideways,they can be cured.Do use a deep concave.
Splayed legs tied with a short piece of string and five days later we see a unbelievable transformation,pictures are courtesty of Nathalie Lofts.