Splayed legs- The make-up sponge method.

You may see the first signs of chicks being splay leg 5-6 days old. It will show dark/red discolouration at the knee joint. Followed by discolouration at the knee and hip joint. Also the chick will lay flat on its tummy and be underdeveloped. Most of us will notice a splay leg chick at time of ringing 7-11 days old. The earlier its fixed the better. Under 21 days is best for this method. 
What you'll need: Make-up sponge, 2x tubes (I use four pens) or thin card rolled 5-6mm diameter, scissors.

  Use the flat rectangular sponge. Cut in half. 

Mark 2 spots, approx half inch apart.

  Cut a tiny hole in the sponge. Then push tubes through. 

Push the tubes as far to the edge of the sponge as you can and trim excess.

 Put chicks leg (1 at a time is easier) in tube, over 'knee' , and gently hold sponge in place with one hand and remove tube with the other hand. Repeat for other leg.

The chick can still get around the nestbox with this on. Leave the sponge on for 7-10 days. Add calcivet to the water. The sponge can very easily be torn off. 

Babies For Sale

Some photo's we took this morning. This one is a little hen. Hatch date 16-09-11. This baby is the first one in the gumtree ad.

The next baby hatched on the 23-9-11 so it will be available after 4-11-11. I'm 99% sure it's male. There are two almost identical. So I only took photo's of this one.

UBC Shield

I got 27th in Yellowface and the other four birds didn't place. I wasn't expecting much. But it has motivated me to do better next year. Oh well.


Mystery chick from my best pair is still alive and doing well which is surprising because I thought it would have died by now. It was so tiny and red when I put it in the foster nest, today it is pink and fat and the same size as the other chick in that nest.

Photo update 20-10-11

I have found a mystery chick today, in a nest of 4 fosters plus one of their own babies. It was hidden under the 8-13 day old bubs and the poor thing was red and very small. It still had the egg tooth so I'm guessing its under 3 days old. I have put in a foster nest with similar aged babies. Fingers crossed this little one survives because it comes from my best pair. This little chick makes 41 babies hatched since 28th July.
So only 3 days until the Unbroken Cap Sheild and the 5 chicks are not behaving in the show cage at all. I need to purchase some ping pong balls to put in the show cage.
Here's some photo's of the five.

Some photo's of all my little chicks. There is 20 that will be for sale when they are old enough and are feeding themselves.

The 'twins'. Pretty little recessive pieds one cobalt and the one above looks visual violet.

Front

Mystery chick came from this nest below.