8wk old walking on side of foot

[heather5024]

I adopted this girl recently.i don't have much history, other than than she is suppose to be 8 was old and a silkie/Cochin cross. Her toes are curled and she walks on the side of her foot. I have searched the forums but have only found info on younger chicks. I have added riboflavin to her diet. She gets around pretty good and otherwise seems healthy. She can move her toes and will grip your finger. She has already jumped out of her box. She wasn't very graceful but she got it done! Can this be corrected with a splint or has it went on for too long? If this can't be corrected what are the long term problems I could expect? After quarantine I was planning to add her to my small flock of silkies(7). She is so sweet and loves to cuddle with my daughter. Could she lead a somewhat normal and happy life?

 

[Eggcessive]

It does look like she might have a riboflavin deficiency, which can lead to curled toe paralysis if not treated right away. You can try making her a shoe. TheChickenChick.com and PoultryPediaPodiatry may have some pictures, or you can try Googling foot problems in chicks for more info. You might take some cotton balls and strips of vet wrap to try to gradually get the toes into a more normal position, but they may be frozen already. Good luck, and let us know how she progresses.

 

[heather5024]

thank you for your reply. I've looked into making chicken shoes and the problem I'm running into it that her claw will not unbend and go straight. The toes can move but it seems the (wrist ??) joint will not move. Do you think it's too late to correct or should I just focus in trying to straighten the toes first?