Suggestions on rehab of extreme curled toes/ splayed legs 6-8 week old chick

[CrazyChickenLadySue]

I'm also interested and care. I have a baby pheasant who is a week old with severe foot curling. She is getting around but not very well. Obviously has a strong will to live as eating and drinking well. I've taped her feet but she constantly pecks at it then it gets stuck to the bedding and I have to intervene. I don't know what to do as I cannot splint her toes well as they are so tiny. I also think she has mild splayed leg but when I tried to hobble her she couldn't walk so I removed it. I am thinking about giving her toes one last chance then try to hobble her after. When she doesn't have taped feet she walks around on top of her curled toes and stumbles. It looks painful and I am seriously considering Euthanizing her but she just seems to have such a fighting spirit I can't bring myself to do it at the moment.
Any comments would be appreciated.
I hope you are doing well with yours.

 

[Eggcessive]

I think that many of us are busy, and it is difficult to stay up to date on threads like this. You are doing all you can with a pullet that probably was born with a riboflavin deficiency. I’m not sure that I would continue the foot splints and leg support. The sling for part of the day is good, especially for eating and drinking, and she would benefit from trying to learn how to get around by herself. It is good that you are updating your thread often, and although I don’t think there is much more help we can offer, it is good to see how she gets along. Since she may be a meat bird mix, she may develop other common leg issues as she gets older. Good luck.

 

[Phillyndilly]

Hi everyone sorry haven’t been back in a bit. Well I did stop with the splints because as someone suggested I felt like it was actually making it more difficult. Unfortunately her legs are very bad they split straight out and there hasn’t been any improvement. I know she cannot have a good life like this. I am able to put her in pen outdoors in the grass and she has been enjoying the sun and breeze and company without anyone pecking her, plenty of food and no danger. I believe I will have to put her down now. I think her legs were most likely just splayed severely since birth and without correction they just are too far gone. So sad because it is such an easy fix.
I think if the legs would’ve been corrected then I could’ve rehabbed the toes and feet and corrected the deficiencies and got her to a point where she would live happily even not walking perfectly but this is just too far. I often find her strangely upside down and twisted and it’s just sad.
Little sweetie was a fighter and I’m glad I gave her a chance and I could make her days peaceful.

 

[Phillyndilly]

I'm also interested and care. I have a baby pheasant who is a week old with severe foot curling. She is getting around but not very well. Obviously has a strong will to live as eating and drinking well. I've taped her feet but she constantly pecks at it then it gets stuck to the bedding and I have to intervene. I don't know what to do as I cannot splint her toes well as they are so tiny. I also think she has mild splayed leg but when I tried to hobble her she couldn't walk so I removed it. I am thinking about giving her toes one last chance then try to hobble her after. When she doesn't have taped feet she walks around on top of her curled toes and stumbles. It looks painful and I am seriously considering Euthanizing her but she just seems to have such a fighting spirit I can't bring myself to do it at the moment.
Any comments would be appreciated.
I hope you are doing well with yours.

It’s so difficult to splint the tiny toes. Tape on both sides to make a shoe was a good method but the tape can’t be slick it has to have some grip so she doesn’t slide around. Cardboard is just so bulky for them when they are tiny

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi everyone sorry haven’t been back in a bit. Well I did stop with the splints because as someone suggested I felt like it was actually making it more difficult. Unfortunately her legs are very bad they split straight out and there hasn’t been any improvement. I know she cannot have a good life like this. I am able to put her in pen outdoors in the grass and she has been enjoying the sun and breeze and company without anyone pecking her, plenty of food and no danger. I believe I will have to put her down now. I think her legs were most likely just splayed severely since birth and without correction they just are too far gone. So sad because it is such an easy fix.
I think if the legs would’ve been corrected then I could’ve rehabbed the toes and feet and corrected the deficiencies and got her to a point where she would live happily even not walking perfectly but this is just too far. I often find her strangely upside down and twisted and it’s just sad.
Little sweetie was a fighter and I’m glad I gave her a chance and I could make her days peaceful.

 

[MROO]

I'm so sorry you had to deal with this. It's hard to see our little charges suffer!
If you ever come across this again, there is another way to splint. Cut a piece of lightweight cardboard or plastic into a square or triangle large enough to form a shoe plate. Splay the toes in as close to a natural position as you can get them and tape the entire foot to the plate. Paper first aid tape or a band-aid usually work well. You need to do it early, while the chick's bones are still growing quickly - or as soon as you notice a break in an older bird. Hopefully you won't face the issue again, but it's always good o be ready jus in case!

 

[Phillyndilly]

I'm so sorry you had to deal with this. It's hard to see our little charges suffer!
If you ever come across this again, there is another way to splint. Cut a piece of lightweight cardboard or plastic into a square or triangle large enough to form a shoe plate. Splay the toes in as close to a natural position as you can get them and tape the entire foot to the plate. Paper first aid tape or a band-aid usually work well. You need to do it early, while the chick's bones are still growing quickly - or as soon as you notice a break in an older bird. Hopefully you won't face the issue again, but it's always good o be ready jus in case!

Well Ruby Rupert is still here because she feels like she wants to move so badly so I am going to try a wheelchair I read a Facebook post about a fully lame chicken from a factory who was able to regain movement and many people commented their stories so I’m going to give it a try a bit longer I’ll post the chair and progress. Her toes actually are starting to uncurl so maybe the nutrition is helping in that sense but I’ll take the toes when I make the chair

 

[sunshinemomee]

Somewhat in the same boat here, years of raising chickens and NEVER had any issue with leg problems before now. My "KK" (short for Knobby Knees) coming up on 4 month old now with Both her legs slipped tendons, uugh ! Unfortunate I mis-diagnosed the problem early on and by the time I realized this, several weeks had passed and now there is basically no hope of the tendons ever going back to rightful position. She eats very well & has a great spirit about her, and loves her buddy "Miss Piggy" who has been a great help to her....but her ability to enjoy life as a chicken should is majorly lacking...and I do not have the time or funds to continue the long term specialty care she needs every day... and having isolated Miss Piggy from the rest of the flock isn't doing her any good either, so KK will most likely be leaving us today. She is unable to move in a forward position without constant struggle to stay balanced and not fall on her face, her greatest mobility is scooting around backwards on her hocks, which causes them to get swollen & irritated I'm sure... altho I keep her strictly on grassy surfaces or in her cage lined with grass clippings and sand (when she's not in her sling chair). In any case, it has been several weeks now and no real progress with everything I've tried. Just sending this reply to let you know you're not alone in dealing with lil chiky legs troubles, and wishing you the best in your endeavors. Here is a pic of KK in her sling chair, it has worked really well (alot of trial & error & modifications to get the right set up)... thought I'd include it in case anyone else finds a need to do similar (and I'd be glad to give info & tips I learned along the way that helped in making it).

 

[sunshinemomee]

I would love more updates!!! I’ve been trying to save a lame 3 month old for 2 weeks. HUGE will to live but legs don’t work

see my reply within this post.... 4 month old with both legs Slipped Tendons, too much time passed now t fix

 

[Phillyndilly]

I figured I would update for anyone who was following well.. I decided not to cull Ruby Rupert because she just seemed to have so much fight left in her and welllll she is now WALKING! All of a sudden she gained more and more strength and balance. She started to fully stand and now she can walk! It’s amazing I honestly cannot believe it. She is definitely unsteady still. Recently her one leg/ foot began turning in a little so I may have to splint it again but she is living her best life. I try to let her outside to move around in a larger area when I’m there but if not she stays in a metal pen where she can eat grass and be with the others and I cover it . I’m going to have to make her something larger for long term as I don’t think she’ll ever walk perfectly and she will most likely come inside during the winter or in the basement area. I’m hoping she finds a friend I wish I could find another chicken with a slight disability because I hate to close one up on purpose.
The things I did were:
-mega dose with poultry cell and nutritional yeast
-splint her feet with cardboard shoes, mostly just one that was curled more
- wheelchair: she hated this but u did put her in it to sleep for a week or two I’m not sure if it helped but it did allow the muscles to stretch and her not lay in an awkward position. I would sometimes try to put her in during the day but she would mostly flip herself over so it worked best at night when she was more calm
-I used vet wrap to hold her legs closer when she began standing.

I don’t recommend keeping a crippled bird alive who is suffering but these things remained consistent with her from the moment I found her
- spunky as all heck; she was never lethargic or weak
- eating like a horse. She consistently scarfed down whatever I offered her fav is scrambled eggs for sure though
- trying to move, huge will to stand and move around. This was a negative at first because I would often find her completely flipped over or jammed into awkward spots in her crate or pen but it was just her trying to figure it out.
Below is a photo of her hanging with some pals and one fully standing . I’m so proud of her I’m glad I didn’t give up!