Hi folks!
I'm having an odd issue with a couple my eight-week-old Marans. For the first five weeks or so, all twenty-two birds (five cockerels, sixteen pullets, a really lucky straight run) have had straight toes and hadn't displayed any signs of improper growth, but a few weeks ago one cockerel has started turning his middle toes inward. The toes aren't actually bent, they just seem loose and much of the time he turns the knuckles of the middle toe to the outside of his feet and curls the rest of the digit towards the instep. He doesn't do this the entire time but I've noticed it's gone from a few isolated incidents to almost a full-time habit in the course of one and a half weeks. After reading quite a few threads on the topic I started giving the affected chick Poly-vi-sol every day and added some to the communal water source. In the weeks since then, four of the five cockerels have displayed similar defects.
Since this defect has so far affected only roos I'm inclined to think this is genetic (and sex-linked). Would it be something that the hens could carry genetically but not show? I don't want to hatch chicks from this flock if they might be 'tainted'.
Thanks so much for any advice you have!
Here's a photo of one rooster's toes:
Okay, updated, here's a link to the picture. The host doesn't allow direct linking to photos I guess:
http://pets.webshots.com/photo/2884041090061688421nZYJSW
I'm having an odd issue with a couple my eight-week-old Marans. For the first five weeks or so, all twenty-two birds (five cockerels, sixteen pullets, a really lucky straight run) have had straight toes and hadn't displayed any signs of improper growth, but a few weeks ago one cockerel has started turning his middle toes inward. The toes aren't actually bent, they just seem loose and much of the time he turns the knuckles of the middle toe to the outside of his feet and curls the rest of the digit towards the instep. He doesn't do this the entire time but I've noticed it's gone from a few isolated incidents to almost a full-time habit in the course of one and a half weeks. After reading quite a few threads on the topic I started giving the affected chick Poly-vi-sol every day and added some to the communal water source. In the weeks since then, four of the five cockerels have displayed similar defects.
Since this defect has so far affected only roos I'm inclined to think this is genetic (and sex-linked). Would it be something that the hens could carry genetically but not show? I don't want to hatch chicks from this flock if they might be 'tainted'.
Thanks so much for any advice you have!
Here's a photo of one rooster's toes:
Okay, updated, here's a link to the picture. The host doesn't allow direct linking to photos I guess:
http://pets.webshots.com/photo/2884041090061688421nZYJSW
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