? about silkie feet

[dacasodivine]

Someone gave me the cutest little silkie hen. She's a tannish sort of color. I don't have silkies but read they can be kept with regular sized hens so I agreed to take her. Well, when I got her home, I realized she was walking kind of weird and then noticed her feet are kind of deformed. Do they normally have deformed feet?

My full sized chickens free range for the most part so they won't be all in a fenced area. What is the best way to have her accepted into the gang?

 

[becky3086]

Silkies have 5 toes, so yes, they do look kind of deformed but it is normal.
This page has a good picture of silkie feet so you can compair.
http://home.att.net/~Myakka2/Silkies.htm

The best way I have found to add a chicken to a flock is to put them in after dark when the others are roosting. They don' t normally have a problem with the new one if they wake up with it in the pen already.

 

[dacasodivine]

Thanks for the link. I think she has deformed feet. I'll have to try and get pictures in the morning. Her toes all seem to point to the inside.

I'll see how she does with the others in the morning and decide then what to do, take her back or build her a seperate pen and get her a buddy.


*It's morning. I have pictures but have to find my sim card to download them onto my computer. The rooster is happy to have a new girlfriend. Is that okay? Only one hen is actively picking on her. I'm hoping the will resolve soon. Poor thing is scared of everything. She's not used to having so much room.

 

[pbjmaker]

I had a silkie roo that had a couple of toes missing and the outside toes curled in. He got along just fine in the flock but just couldn't roost. His name was Weebles because weebles wooble but they don't fall down...

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Occasionally Polydactyly birds (extra toes) get some weird foot arrangements, and I have seen cases where a toe got turned under, and not noticed and corrected by taping).

With photos we may be able to give a better "diagnosis."