Spraddle leg

On the left, a chick with spraddle legs with elastic shackles. On right, the chick five days later.

Spraddle leg, also called splayed leg or perosis, is a condition in birds (especially poultry) in which the legs of newly hatched chicks are splayed laterally, meaning that they are unable to bear weight. Visible shortly after hatching, many different causes have been attributed to spraddle leg, though improper flooring is believed to be a major contribution. The condition can be traced using padded hobbles.

Spraddle leg occurs in several bird species, from budgerigars to bustards. It is also known to occur in piglets.

Symptoms

Spraddle leg causes one or both legs to splay outwards (hence the alternative name "splayed leg"), rather than straight down. This positioning leaves a bird unable to stand, perch, or jump.

The disability can be permanent if not treated in time, and can even be fatal. A bird with permanent spraddle leg cannot walk. Poultry in such a condition is thus usually culled. Companion birds, such as parrots, may be kept alive, with the disibility being accommodated; for example, the bird may be put in a padded or carpeted cage to keep it comfortable.

Morbidity

Spraddle leg occurs in a wide variety of birds. Parrots (including lovebirds, Quaker parrots, and budgerigars), gallinaceous birds (chickens and turkeys), kestrels, and the bustard family are all known to develop spraddle leg. Among the bustards, red-crested korhaans are especially susceptible to the condition, with one study finding about a quarter of all surveyed chicks had spraddle leg.

The condition affects newly hatched chicks. In turkeys, it is rare for the condition to appear in individuals older than thirty weeks.

Causes

Chickens in a crowded cage with a bare wire floor. In chicks, such conditions could lead to the development of spraddle leg.

The most common cause of spraddle leg is a bone fracture that heals the wrong way. Such fractures often occur from slipping while walking.: 4  A floor that is too slippery, not covered adequately, covered in an insufficient substrate (such as paper, plastic, or pine shavings), or a wire cage floor can lead to the condition. Proper substrate would be straw or sterilized feed sacks. The bone can also be fractured if the chick is crushed under the weight of its parents or siblings.: 21 

Spraddle leg can also be a symptom of malnutrition, specifically a lack of calcium and Vitamin D. Spraddle leg is a symptom of cockatiel paralysis syndrome, itself caused by deficiency of selenium. Too much phosphorus in the diet may also be a cause, and the feeding of bonemeal, high in this element, may be the source. Improperly mixed formulas for baby birds are a frequent source of vitamin imbalances.

Spraddle leg is sometimes caused by poor incubation. During the first week of incubation, if the temperature is too low, there is a greater chance of spraddle leg occurring when the egg hatches.

Some alleged causes have been debunked. In California in the 1980s, when chloramine replaced chlorine in some water treatment facilities, there was an uptick in spraddle leg reports. However, a study on cockatiels found no evidence that chloramine causes spraddle leg.

Treatment

Management focuses on the use of supports, such as hobbles or shackles, to bring the legs back towards the midline. While using such supports, the area around the hock should be padded. Wool and cohesive bandages such as VetRap are appropriate materials for padding the hocks. The condition can also be treated with "Boysdon Pads", a pair of hourglass-shaped pads that let the legs extend downwards while supporting the chick's weight. These pads can be made with foam, or from menstrual pads.

While being rehabilitated, the chick should be isolated from other birds until it is healed. Sometimes the chick will be kept in a bowl or cup, which forces it to keep its legs under its body. The chick should be kept away from water during this time, as it may drown.

In chickens and turkeys, the hobbling typically yields results in two to three days. If the condition does not improve, the bird may be culled.

Comorbidity

Chicken with straight toes. Spraddle foot often coincides with crooked toes, which would bend sideways.

Chicks with spraddle leg very often have crooked toes, which bend to the side. This condition is not as dangerous, and like spraddle leg, can be treated with bracing.

Neurological problems, such as cerebellar hypoplasia, can cause symptoms which resemble spraddle leg, such as an inability to walk. As the cause of such an issue is in fact neurological, typical spraddle leg treatments, such as hobbling the legs, will not work.

References

  1. ↑ "How Not to "Wing It" with Backyard Poultry". Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery. 31 (4): 384. December 2017 – via JSTOR.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Marsden, Stanley J. (May 1952). Turkey Raising. US Department of Agriculture. p. 69.
  3. ↑ Dupchak, Karen (November 1989). Vitamins for Swine. Winnipeg: Manitoba Agriculture. p. 3.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Roberts, Victoria (2000). Diseases of Free-Range Poultry. Whittet Books. p. 42.
  5. 1 2 Watson, Jesse L. (January 2023). "Documenting Occurrence and Rates of Spraddle Leg in American Kestrel Nestlings within a Nest Box Monitoring Network". Journal of Raptor Research. 52 (2): 325 – via ResearchGate.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Mormino, Kathy (2017). The Chicken Chick's Guide to Backyard Chickens: Simple Steps to Happy, Healthy Hens. Minneapolis: Voyageur Press. p. 62. ISBN 9780760352427.
  7. 1 2 Gillespie, James R. (2004). Modern Livestock and Poultry Production (7th ed.). Delmar Learning. p. 883. ISBN 1401827373.
  8. 1 2 Athan, Mattie Sue (1997). Complete Guide to the Companion Quaker Parrots. Hauppauge, NY: Barron's. p. 100.
  9. ↑ Moustaki, Nikki (2003). A New Owner's Guide to Lovebirds. Neptune City, NJ: T.F.H. Publications. p. 140.
  10. ↑ Komiyama, Norihiro (1985). "International Avian Medicine". Association of Avian Veterinarians Newsletter. 6 (1): 21 – via JSTOR.
  11. 1 2 Naldo, Jesus L.; Bailey, Thomas A.; Samour, Jamie A. (June 1998). "Musculoskeletal Disorders in Bustard Pediatric Medicine". Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery. 12 (2): 87 – via JSTOR.
  12. 1 2 3 Murphy, Joel (1994). How to Care for Your Pet Bird: Practical Advice from Dr. Joel Murphy. Clearwater, FL: MABH Publishing. pp. 282–283.
  13. 1 2 Hutto, Joe (2017). When I was a Turkey. Henry Holt and Company, New York.
  14. 1 2 Hines, Ron. "Correcting Spraddle or Splay Leg in Baby Birds". 2nd Chance. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  15. ↑ Ryczek, Hayley. "How to Fix Splayed Leg or Spraddle Leg". Health Starts in the Kitchen. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
  16. 1 2 3 Gonzales, Fran (1993). Breeding Exotic Birds: A Guide. Cypress, CA: Neon Pet Publications. p. 75. ISBN 0963784404.
  17. 1 2 Cushman, Harriette; Welch, Howard (1947). Turkeys in Montana. Montana State College Extension Service. p. 17.
  18. ↑ Mancini, Julie R. (1997). The Cockatiel. New York, NY: Howell Book House. p. 64. ISBN 0876055269.
  19. ↑ Saif, Y.M., ed. (2008). Diseases of Poultry (12th ed.). Victoria, Australia: Blackwell Publishing. p. 1151. ISBN 9780813807188.
  20. ↑ Roudybush, Tom (Summer 1986). "Effect of Chloramine in Drinking Water on Chicks". Association of Avian Veterinarians Newsletter. 7 (2): 56.
  21. ↑ Jenkins, Jeff (Spring 1989). "Pad Support for Splayed Legs". Jounral of the Association of Avian Veterinarians. 3 (1): 13–14.
  22. ↑ Taggers, Akshata (2022). "Cerebellar Hypoplasia in two Juvenile African Grey Parrots (Psittacus erithacus)" (PDF). Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery. 36 (3): 309 – via ResearchGate.