Adult hen - curled toes - DIY corrective shoes (?)

[JimNAZ]

We have an adult hen who developed curled toes and has trouble walking. This has gone on for a while and we are already giving her B vitamins/supplements. I'm afraid she is not getting much better and was wondering if some sort of corrective shoe would help. I have Googled like crazy but all conversations and shoe suggestions are for chicks not adult chickens.
Has anyone dealt with this with an adult chicken? Did shoes work? If so, any pics or design tips? I know about cardboard strips and vet tape but will this hold up for a full size chicken?

Thanks

 

[Eggcessive]

Are her toes curled under or are they curled to the side? Curled under toes is a sign of riboflavin or vitamin B2 deficiency. Can you post a picture?

 

[JimNAZ]

Are her toes curled under or are they curled to the side? Curled under toes is a sign of riboflavin or vitamin B2 deficiency. Can you post a picture?

Curled under - yes I know about the deficiencies. This post is about corrective footwear.
*You have commented already on my original post on curled toes
Thank you

 

[Eggcessive]

I doubt if making shoes will uncurl her toes, but you can try strightening them. Just do not pull to hard. If you can get them flattened onto cardboard, you might be able to tape them. But since this is a nerve problem, it may be painful or not possible to straighten them. I haven’t dealt with this myself, only studied it.

 

[JimNAZ]

Yeah I'm on the fence on whether it would do more harm than good.
She does stand/walk flat footed at times but then she curls them other times. Same thing with standing. Sometimes straight up other times she rests on her lower part of leg. I'm not sure if it's painful or she just needs to reteach her ligaments.

 

[Hufflefluff]

Interesting idea. My first thought is that it would probably irritate her more than anything- she wouldn't really be able to scratch, roost, or dust bathe. At the same time, though, I can't really think of a better way to help her toes (maybe chicken physical therapy? Straightening her toes for her a few times a day? Unless if it's hurting her, of course)
If you straightening her toes doesn't hurt her, and you want to create some sort of shoe, I think something like tape might work better than cardboard- like the band-aid shoes people give chicks, just with stronger tape. If you do decide to make her shoes, I'd love to hear how you work out the logistics. I hope her feet work out

 

[oregonkat]

I have a similar situation with a hen that has one toe on each foot curled sideways but the nail is growing upwards. I have considered straightening them but, obviously it would be one toe on each foot. Would straightening one toe at a time on your hens feet be a feasible idea, so that the entire foot would not be 'disabled'?

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

Greetings JimNAZ,

This is an interesting case, not that your hen's toes are curled. But, that you are thinking of a corrective shoe.

This reminded me of a childhood friend I had. She was pigeon toed and had difficulty walking. Her parents had her fitted for some special shoes. Her toes actually straightened. I guess you'll never know, if you never try.

I have a rooster and a hen that are wearing custom shoes to protect their feet. They are both prone to bumblefoot. I designed the shoes to fit the anatomy of chicken's foot.

Here is a picture. I sew them by machine and hand stitch. The sole is a piece of dense rubber, 1/16th inch thick. The rest of the shoe is Neoprene fabric. Then, the bottom of the shoe is covered in two coats of Flex Seal, then, the sole is attached using some more Flex Seal. I buy all the supplies online from Amazon.

These are the soles, which only have a disc on the metatarsal pad. My newest shoe will have the entire sole covered in the dense rubber, because the rooster is wearing out the soles in just two months.

Here is the hen wearing the shoes.

The chickens are able to do anything the other chickens do, and more. After healing from bumblefoot, this hen would walk slowly and was so inactive, now, she is jumping and sprinting across the yard, I am thinking of entering her into the poultry Olympics! LOL!

However, I won't put the shoes on during the Summer, as she is a Buff Orpington and very sensitive to the heat. You also have to give them breaks from wearing the shoes and watch for any tiny pebbles that can get inside the shoe. Though I've only had this happen once.

Putting the shoes on is like putting a glove on a limp hand. You have to straighten the toes and wiggle them into position. It's tedious by worth it for the chickens and for me. I do enjoy seeing them having fun in the yard!


I hope this was helpful, and gives you an idea of something you can do for your hen.

God Bless

 

[oregonkat]

Patent these things right away!!! They are awesome, very clever. I love the photo of your hen!

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

Patent these things right away!!! They are awesome, very clever. I love the photo of your hen!

Thanks for the compliment, but I can't take the credit.
Shoes for chickens already are patented, my shoes are based off of these.
They are sold online by Krazy K Farm Store. They are sold as "one size fits all". I had purchased some for my rooster, but they didn't fit, so I made him some custom fit.