Baby Chick Feet Deformed—Can I Help?

[Sparrow-Song]

It looks like brachydactyly to me. I guess it could be considered a deformity, but it's a trait that some breeds just have that to a degree, although I think it's more common for it to be just the outer toe that's reduced rather than outer and inner. Cochins for example commonly have brachydactyly to some degree and it doesn't affect their ability to get on with chickening.

Oh, you’re totally right! I guess I just didn’t notice it in any other feather-feet chicks we’ve had as I’ve never encountered toe curling before. Thanks! I feel better about it now.

 

[Sparrow-Song]

Sorry for not seeing this yesterday. I also recently had a chick with a broken toe - hatchmate violently kicked her egg clear across the incubator when she had her foot poking out. Unfortunately I didn't catch it right away and didn't want to put her through the pain of trying to "fix" it after it was likely already knitting together so I just left it be since she was mobile and otherwise healthy. Baby bird bones heal FAST so if you don't catch it immediately, it will just heal. At that point I think it becomes an ethical issue whether to do anything about it; generally I think it's best to leave those cases. As far as distinguishing from curled, my curled toe chick could straighten its toes to have a flat foot and the toes otherwise looked normal and straight. The broken toe chick can also have a flat foot but the broken toe is a bit zig-zag even when flat and there's an obvious enlarged area where the break healed. I don't see anything from your pics that looks like a break.

Thank you for this! Yes, I had already taped the toes when I noticed and didn’t want to further distress her (poor thing was really upset at the process, it took me a while to get that one foot in particular flat) and so I didn’t end up getting a photo. Hopefully if it is an issue, she will heal as fast and as well as yours.

Also, the image of the hatchmate kicking that poor chick’s egg like a soccer ball is stuck in my head, and it’s unfortunately hilarious. My little one actually has a hatchmate a little like that—will not settle down, very curiously pecking at it all the time, very mobile. That one is a day older, and has already earned the name Trouble. The third chick just sits calmly like a little fluffy marshmallow. It will be an interesting batch dynamic methinks…

Thanks again for your help!

 

[DonyaQuick]

Also, the image of the hatchmate kicking that poor chick’s egg like a soccer ball is stuck in my head, and it’s unfortunately hilarious.

It was the most chaotic chick-out-of-the-egg moment I have ever seen. Crack crack crack, a little eye looks through the tiny gap, then POW there are two crazy long legs spinning about kicking everybody and everything LOL. That one of course has turned out to be a cockerel and got the name Liu Kang for the Mortal Kombat video game character.

Yes, I had already taped the toes when I noticed and didn’t want to further distress her (poor thing was really upset at the process, it took me a while to get that one foot in particular flat) and so I didn’t end up getting a photo. Hopefully if it is an issue, she will heal as fast and as well as yours.

Definitely best to leave the boot in place for a little while in that case. My chick only needed boot assistance for about 24h, some may need it longer from what I've read. The toes may not be perfectly straight once the boot is off, but if the feet are open when the chick stands then the chick's own weight when standing may be enough to help do the rest once it's no longer at risk of returning to a knuckle-walking type state.

 

[Sparrow-Song]

It was the most chaotic chick-out-of-the-egg moment I have ever seen. Crack crack crack, a little eye looks through the tiny gap, then POW there are two crazy long legs spinning about kicking everybody and everything LOL. That one of course has turned out to be a cockerel and got the name Liu Kang for the Mortal Kombat video game character.



Definitely best to leave the boot in place for a little while in that case. My chick only needed boot assistance for about 24h, some may need it longer from what I've read. The toes may not be perfectly straight once the boot is off, but if the feet are open when the chick stands then the chick's own weight when standing may be enough to help do the rest once it's no longer at risk of returning to a knuckle-walking type state.

Thank you, sounds very reasonable! Also BEST NAME EVER, you are on point, and also that’s literally cartoon level of shenanigans!!! Oh my gosh!! I actually laughed out loud in the library.