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144 Hand-Rearing Birds

rapidly growing young. Treatment consists of soaking the feet in warm water to soften the mate-
rial. Be careful pulling it off because fractures may occur, or the skin may be torn.

Splayed Legs

Splayed legs can happen when a young bird slips on unstable substrate, stretching ligaments
beyond their normal range. If caught early, it can be corrected using Vetrap (3M) or similar mate-
rial to “soft‐splint” the legs in a natural position. The feet should be separated by normal standing
or walking distance. The bird should be able to walk and maintain normal behavior with the splint
on its legs. Standing and walking while splinted is important to maintain muscle tone and develop-
ment. Depending on the severity, the legs should remain splinted for a few days to a week. Adjust
the splint daily on newly hatched birds to accommodate their rapid growth (Altman et al. 1997).

Cannibalism
Cannibalism may occur in all Galliformes when kept in captivity. Many theories exist on the causes
of this, from nutritional deficiencies, to overcrowding, to poor sanitation (Woodward 1993). It is
likely that multiple factors play a part in the phenomenon. Providing adequate space and good
food in plentiful amounts is a proper place to start for prevention of this destructive behavior.
Stress from human or domestic animals should be kept to a minimum.
While in brooders, chicks will often pick at the toes or legs of others. Check the victim for bleed-
ing or physical abnormality, such as crooked toes, that could attract attention. Feces or bedding
adhered to the vent or feet may resemble bits of food and cause picking by other chicks. All areas
that are open sores should be treated with antibiotic ointment. Open wounds must be healed
before reintroducing birds that have been cannibalized by cagemates.
Removing an aggressive bird for even a short time seems to break the cycle of picking, and it may
be enough to solve the problem. Introducing fresh greens with roots and soil still attached may also
distract the birds and resolve picking.
Birds in outdoor facilities pick feathers of others or themselves when under either physiological
or environmental stress. Check all factors, including making sure there is adequate high‐quality
food available, no predator harassment, and a stress‐free environment. Domestic animals, including
dogs that live on the property, can be responsible for stress. The birds see domestic pets as predators
and will react as such. Release may be the best option if you are unable to locate the stressor.

Diet

Wild Galliformes have very specific food needs. Although some can survive on prepared commer-
cial diets, many cannot. Unfortunately, there is no hard and fast rule to indicate which will be rela-
tively hardy patients and which are delicate beyond expectation for even the most experienced
rehabilitator.
As a generalization, species that have been raised commercially, such as pheasants and quail, are
hardy and have a high success rate when raised in captivity. By contrast, wild turkeys and grouse
are delicate in captive care. Wild turkeys differ in many ways from domestic varieties, including
the fact that they have 35% more brain capacity than domestics.
There is often wide variation in food habits for grouse species. Complicating things, these diets
change with the season. Considering there are 16 grouse species in the northern hemisphere alone,