I fixed a dying chick this morning

[WelliesAndPyjamas]

Found it this morning with its legs completely splayed (bad case of splay leg) and very weak since it hadn't been able to get to the food and water overnight. So I've cut a strip off the end of a spec-cleaning rag (SpecSavers, nice n soft) and tied its legs closer together, as per instructions on internet...

...and he/she is walking about now (with its funny little SpecSavers attachment, eating and drinking, and keeping up with the other chicks, bless it.

So pleased with myself. I really thought it was a lost cause first thing this morning.

cool - i detached one from its shell and now its the biggest! another had a really bunged up bottom so i bathed it in a basin, removed all the dried stuff and then dried it off with hairdryer. that chick also doing well.

lol at blow-drying its bottom!

chick still doing well

duchess - have you ever had one with a bald bottom? do you know what causes it and whether I can do anything for it? I clean out very reguarly so would be surprised if it was anything to do with sitting in poo. Only one out of 17 chicks has it. Any thoughts?

no bald bottoms here. perhaps they were stuck to shell membranes? the one i helped out of shell was missing fluff on it's back but had new growth after about a week. if the chick isn't bothered i wouldn't worry, the other chicks are hopefully too small yet to hurt it by pecking out of curiosity. good luck with them!

thanks
I'll wait to see if it grows back. DS thinks it's hilarious (he's at 'that age').

BTW, that little chick with the splay legs can now walk normally without his little specsavers prop. So that works, for future reference.

It's not growing very much though despite eating plenty. It's about half the size of the others so not sure what to do about that. Any thoughts, anyone?