2 with bad feet

[fzouk]

I got my chicks over the weekend from a local guy. He had 3 Cinnamon Queens that had hatched really late and were so new they still were kind of wet with bits of egg shell. He asked if I wanted them for free with the Cinnamon Queens I bought and I said "Sure!" Turns out 2 out of the 3 have deformed feet, the toes curl under and the poor little chicks can hardly stand. Well one of them looks like she's not going to make it- I have been holding her and making her eat and drink but she's so sleepy and has that look of a chick who's near the end, so now I've just got her comfortable by herself in a little box. The other one has plenty of energy and is limping around.

Any advice? I have no idea if it would be kinder in the end to go ahead and finish off the "healthy" one with the bad foot or just let her be and when she grows to just keep her in the coop all the time and not let her out with the others or something. I really can't decide and was hoping someone here had a good idea.

Thank you!

 

[bakerjw]

Bad feet or spraddle leg cause a lot of concern but really aren't that big of a deal. A lot of people make a shoe that can be taped to the chicks foot to straighten it out. Here is a good site for information.
https://sites.google.com/a/larsencreek.com/chicken-orthopedics/leg-braces

I've only had to deal with a spraddle leg chick before. With that you take a thin strip of bandaid and hobble the chicks legs under the body in a natural spacing.

 

[fzouk]

Thanks for that link! I'll have to try and see if I can make a shoe for each of the two! I want them to make it!