"My local pet shop has baby doves that are splay legged and I was wondering what I can do for them. No one will buy a pair of crippled birds so I am afraid they may kill them. They are for the most part fully feathered and still getting food from the parents. I am going to buy them from the pet shop and try to do some sort of rehab. Does anyone have any suggestions? Please help me, I will try anything! Thank you for any
help you can give." [Margaret]

• If the hip bones are solid it is probably too late. I take in handicapped birds and have some information on splay leg on my website. Go to http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Cliffs/6483 and scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the link that says Splay Leg. There will be several techniques I use to correct it. If they are too old, they may still have a quality life if they are taken as pets and not as breeders. [Helen]
• In the meantime, here are some of the basic techniques I use.1. (My Favorite) I take small pieces of soft rubber (vinyl) medical tubing that I purchase from a hospital supply place. It is very soft and pliable (flesh colored) -- not the hard clear oxygen tubing. I cut a piece the length of the leg. I slit this piece long-ways so it opens up and I can wrap it around the leg -- one for each leg. (it makes a little "cast" for the length of the leg). I then cut a narrow piece of vet wrap (or any self-sticking elastic bandage) about 4 inches long and use this to "figure-8" the two legs together: wrap around one leg, cross in the middle to the other leg, and back again to the first leg until the legs are held securely together. Do Not pull really tight or you will cut off the circulation. If you use this method, you may have to prop up the little one since they cannot stand/balance with their legs wrapped in this method. I usually suspend mine in a small flower pot that I have padded with old cotton wash cloths (I don't throw anything out!!) or cotton batting (just make sure the little ones don't pick at the cotton and eat it. You can also roll the old washcloths and make little supports for the baby bird with those proping him up in the corner of the brooder.Sometimes just positioning the legs suspended under the body and then propping the little one up in a padded container will work.If you use this method, make sure you remove the braces at least once a day and check the circulation in the legs and make sure that the braces aren't too tight and rubbing sores on the legs. This is also a good time to do a little "physical therapy" by rubbing the legs, submerging them in warm water and working the toes, bending the knees, etc.2. A small piece of a styrofoam meat tray cut into a square (about 2 inches square -- depends on the size of the bird). Cut a couple of small openings in the middle of the square so that you can pull the feet thru -- This will work to keep them feet/legs aligned until you can get a better system in
  operation. This is usually only used as a temporary measure. However, if the splay is not too severe and the bird is young enough, it may only take a few days to correct and this method will be sufficient for that short-term use. Again, check the feet and legs for lack of circulation and/or sores.Bubble wrap (the stuff used for mailing breakables) can also be used as a
  temporary measure similar to the styrofoam. Pull the legs together, wrap both together in bubble-wrap and secure with tape. Remember, this is plastic and the legs will "sweat" causing open sores if it is not removed and the legs allowed to air-dry at least once a day. I usually do this sort of thing when I'm feeding.3. Apply leg bands to both legs and then take dental floss and tie the bands together, pulling the legs/feet into alignment. This is by far the easiest of the methods, however, I have had some "knee deformities" from this since there is no support for the legs like there is with the first method. It is also easy to get open sores where the bands rub on the legs. You want the bands tight enough so the feet don't slip out, but loose enough to allow for good circulation. I find the small plastic spiral bands work for the tiny birds.....or the colored plastic spiral bands that are
  numbered for the chicks that are a little older. Actually, the wider the band, the better for circulation.If you get the birds early enough, you will usually notice improvement within a few days. Some birds have responded in as few as three days....others have had the braces on for several weeks with no improvement -- it just depends on the severity of the splay and the age of
  the bird. Also, none of these methods are going to work if the leg or hip sockets are deformed.Once you find a chick with splay-leg (or spraddle leg) you need to start investigating...why are the legs in that condition -- lack of calcium, poor
  positioning in the egg, genetic deformity, parents setting too tight (most often seen in the coldest part of winter), and the most common reason -- nothing on the bottom of the nest box for the little feet to hold onto and the weight of the plump chick pushes the legs out to the side. If this is the problem, add some type of padding to the bottom of the nest box. I have found that the foam/vinyl mats used to keep rugs from slipping or the non-slip drawer and shelf liners --- or even the little rubber stickies that you but in the bottom of the bathtub, give a little extra grip for the chicks. If you use anything like this you need to be diligent in your inspections. If you notice that the parents -- or the chicks-- have started pecking at it, remove it and use
  something else.Hope this helps some of you. If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me personally -- I have tried to explain the best I can but, if you haven't seen some of these, it may be hard to picture. [Helen]
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