Splayed leg (Outward leg) syndrome

[RC Moser]

I had a baby with one leg pointing straight out last year. I was wonder if that is a normal defect or related to Metal or plastic housing with slick surfaces? First I had seen this. He fledged, but had a hard time on the porch and entering and exiting my entry hole. I was afraid a hawk was going to get him cause he was the last to make it in.

Edit: Forum Admin added splayed leg to title since this is the commonly used name for this condition

[Guest]

RC,

If he was born this way (not caused by an injury) it had to be genetic and couldn't have been caused by slick floors etc. It would be interesting to know if this is a common abnormality or not as you are asking.

[Dave S (Texas)]

I have not experienced this, but I have read a cause of splayed-leg to be related to slick surfaces within the nest, but it could also be caused by injury. I doubt it would be from a 'birth defect'. The floors within the nest areas should not be slick. Easy to accomplish using common sense methods.

[~Patrick~]

I've raised numerous types of caged birds over the years and I've seen that condition several times in several species. I don't know what causes it but I don't think that particular condition is caused by the slick flooring. Bur, lack of traction does no doubt does some nestlings. I'm adding tread tape to all my aluminum houses this year. I'm new to gourds so I'm not sure what to do there.

Patrick

[Guss P O'Brien]

Read about leg splaying

http://www.purplemartin.org/update/10(1)mishaps.html

PM Update index: leg splaying 3(4) p. 14; 6(1) p. 20 (use of Gutter Guard on flooring to prevent); 6(4) p. 8 (reasons/deaths); 10 (1) p.11; 13(4) p. 11 (causes/prevention);

http://www.purplemartin.org/update/index2.html

[rdhd]

W

[starling shooter]

I've seen it in turkeys and attribted it to incubators fluctuating in temps but turning could have been the cause too.

Slick surfaces don't help

I was able to tie their legs about 1" apart and after a couple of days, they were normal. If you don't tie their legs so they can't splay, they never get better and make catfish food.

[Guest]

I raise coturnix quail , and i see this alot in the late hatchers-maybe they were the ones i didnt turn very well-50% that hatch late will have this problem

jayc

[RC Moser]

Well, I'm not taking any chances, I put 1/4" wood subfloors in all the compartments of my metal houses.

[Guest]

rc,

I was checking on the newly hatched martins last year. Since all my house are deep compartments, I really didn't think to put anything in the front, by the entrance. We'll I went out one day and a baby martin had worked his way to the front. Even though it hadn't been there very long. I noticed it's legs were starting to go out. I quickly cut a piece of thin wood to fit the compartment and put the traction tape on it. After I did that the baby martin's had no problems. So now I put those in all the front compartments right after the eggs have hatched.

So I would say if it was in a compartment with some kind of traction.....it may have been like that from the get go.

Good luck!
craig

[CUL Lou~Mich]

Patrick. It depends on which "gourds" you are using. If they are naturals, one shouldn't have to do anything with them. If they are manmade, ie plastic, then one should put something in to keep them from slipping. Some folks use PPCA, put a glob in, then comb it out (with a plastic mens hair comb) so it makes lines and ridges in it. CUL Lou

[Nanette]

Hi CUL,
What is PPCA? I tried using silicone caulking but it just pulled off of the Supergourd. I was thinking about using sandpaper or even a dremmel tool to roughen it up inside. I would prefer however to use something that didn't damage the gourd.

[Guest]

Nanette,

http://www.purplemartin.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1273

If you want more just do a search for PPCA at the top of this page.

[Guss P O'Brien]

Of the 229 chicks that have hatched in the Natureline PVC gourds offered at my house over the last 3 years, I have noted only one to have the splayed legs. I have never added anything for extra traction, and some of the nest are very thin and/or loose- especially the nest replacements. During nest checks in the thinner and looser nests, the chicks do a lot of spinning out trying to get to the back of the gourd, and many rest on the bare floor.

Is there any other data on rates of leg splaying in different types of housing? I offer exclusively NL gourds.

...was able to tie their legs about 1" apart and after a couple of days, they were normal. If you don't tie their legs so they can't splay...

Has this technique ever been tried with a martin?

[Louise Chambers]

Leg splay was first studied by Thomas Dellinger, during banding sessions, and he encountered it most often in metal houses with smooth, flat floors. Martin nestlings that develop leg splay can fly but cannot perch correctly and will probably not survive long after fledging. No one has ever reported seeing an adult with leg splay.

Leg splay can occur in wood, plastic or metal houses, though it's most often reported in metal. PMCA has not received any reports of leg splay in gourds of any kind, until now. Natureline have flatter floors than other gourds and probably that contributes to the problem. Other gourds have a well developed bowl shape, which probably helps prevent leg splay.

Leg splay is best prevented by providing texture to flat slick floors. This can be done by adding texture or scoring the floor material. Landlords use rubber shelf liner, ant-skid tape, caulk or ppca, or paint that has sand added to it - the same methods are used to add traction to porches.

Prevention is the best solution, but if a nestling is found with legs pointing to the sides instead of parallel and forward, the condition is correctable if found early. Contact a licensed rehabilitator for help making a harness or splint to hold the legs together. Please be careful about making your own without consulting an expert. It would be a sad story if poorly fitting corrective aids caused abrasion or infection. Please report leg splay to PMCA so we can continue to monitor and provide information about the condition.

Louise

[Guss P O'Brien]

The one leg splay I've seen was a very bad case by the time I noticed. Both legs seemed turned around backwards and pointing straight back with the tail feathers. I noticed the problem when the other chick had been fledged for about a week. It was unusual to me to have that much of a straggler. The deformed chick was being fed, and its feces was being removed, but it seemed to be being left unattended for longer and longer periods of time each day. It seemed that it would soon be abandoned and eventually starve. I decided to take it out to see if it could fly, knowing that it was probably doomed anyway. It would try to fly, but seemed unable. The wings were not quite right either. Maybe it was from hobbling around on them, or maybe some other genetic defects, or maybe getting weak. Other than that, it looked perfect. At age 33 days, I left it on the egg shell feeder during the day. It disappeared within hours, and I couldn't find any trace of it. I assume it died, but at least it didn't starve inside its nest.

Now that I know that there may be a problem with NL gourds, I'll seriously consider adding traction to the floor with there is a thin or loose nest. The nest producing the deformed chick had nearly a bare floor.

I'll try to catch any future cases early so that I can try to get help in time. How early is early enough to catch this problem to be able to do something about it?

I document any leg splays or other deformities in the comment section of the martinwatch data sheets.

[Guest]

I use Paint that is safe for children furniture and toys and add play sand
to it and paint all my porches.I don't see why you can't use on the floors of your plastic gourds.All my gourds are natural but I think I am going to do the floors of my wooden boxes with it .You can make it as rough as you want by adding more sand.(valspar) Decorator enamel
Don