Hi everybody ,

 

In the weekend , I had a visit to a breeder in my city , he is much more like a beginner and has only 5 pairs and 16 chicks .

 

3 of the pairs were bought all at once from a petshop 8 months ago , when they were 2 months old .

 

3 pairs out of 5 are having their first clutch where one pair's all four babies have splay legs .

 

The first thing that pops in my mind is they may be sister and brother and he is line breeding unintensionally and recommended him to not to breed this pair .

 

He is now on the cure for this 4 baby hopefully they will recover .

 

I do not pretend to be an expert and I am not sure I am on the correct diagnosis for splay leg effecting all the clutch that is why I wanted to hve it confirmed .

 

Can there be another reason or just only bad luck ?

Edited June 29, 200915 yr by cem

Splayed legs typically result from lack of nesting material or an un-suitable bottom surface that doesnt provide adequate grip or footing. If the chicks cannot grip or 'get their feet' the legs slide out. If the legs stay that way as the chicks grow, they 'grow into' the splay and will stay that way forever unless it is caught and remedied very early on.

 

It is likely that this breeder, being a beginner, has not provided nesting material. Or has provided improper amount/quality of nesting material or surfaces.

 

Secondly, the splay could result from a heavy sitting hen or a nutritional deficiency, but these causes are less common. Heavy sitting hens can be remedied by placing a large marble in the nest just prior to or after the last chick (egg) hatching. Nutrition is obviously an ongoing concern and priority for all breeders who want the best for their breeding birds and chicks.

I agree with Dean... Also splayed legs can be from a calcium deficiency making the bones softer and susceptible to splaying and rickets.

Although I think there may be a genetic link.

 

I have a cock bird with a 100% incidence of chicks with splayed legs. Different nest boxes, different hens.

 

At 4 days the chicks look awesome but the legs just don't develop and turn spindly and red. By day 10 they are out at right angles to the body.

 

I'm giving him to another breeder to trial and if gets the same results I'll take him back and use him as a foster, he's a terrific feeder.

I agree with Dean... Also splayed legs can be from a calcium deficiency making the bones softer and susceptible to splaying and rickets.

 

and adding to this comment can result in broken bones which reset quickly and look to be splayed legs but infact were broken and the only differences is you can tell as the leg will be purpule from bruzing or swelling

rare but happens

Thanks a lot for the replies , he has a layer of wood shawings but not a concave , all the nest boxes he uses are same .

 

Then , prior to thinking about genetics , he should have another try with a better setup and being sure about the calcium levels .

 

By the way , what are the outcomes of line breeding ? What kind of disconformities may appear ?

I think you have been misled about what line breeding is ....... you seem to be under the impression that this creates deformities. It doesnt. You may also be confused about terminology and be thinking of inbreeding.

 

 

To quote a former member from one of his topics............

 

 

Line breeding is breeding with a particular line of birds. Now lets say the imports were again open for budgies. And someone bought in 10 pairs of Mannes birds. Now if he kept them together and bred them for three or four years working different combinations. Which you could do easily without breeding relatives together and he didn't mix them with his new 6 birds of another breeders.

That is line breeding !

 

Inbreeding is the deliberate combining of relatives brother to sister, uncle to brother etc etc.

For generation after generation

That is Inbreeding !

 

 

The splayed legs I seriously doubt is inherited. I agree with Dean.

I think the person you saw has misled you.

Edited June 29, 200915 yr by KAZ

Thanks Kaz , now I got the point , I was always thinking the line breeding and inbreeding as same . Leave and learn , if I do not add new stock to my flock , I will be line breeding without inbreeding . This is because I will be within the same blood line . Anyway , most of non Australian budgie breeders might be line breeding as Australia is not exporting budgies for a long time , so the dangerous one is in breeding .

yeah thats how it goes hey. I'ts reall easy for us beginners to get them mixed up.