Baby Chick Feet Deformed—Can I Help?

[Sparrow-Song]

I just did my first incubation (that I personally managed, my family did them before when I was really little) and I did not do a good job with the heat and humidity. (Partially because the incubator was years old, also just inexperienced) I really want the chicks that made it to do well—this little one came out sticky and has fluff slicked down even dry, and its middle toes are bigger than its outer ones. One of its feet clearly doesn’t work right (is usually folded sideways as seen in pic), and it spends a lot of time peeping. Is there something I can do to help it stand and recover a little?
Thank you!

Edit to main post to keep it relevant to anyone looking for something similar in the future: Baby had curled toes which caused brachydactyly (a common mutation with feathered feet) to be more noticeable. Tape shoes were applied for some correction, and she may also need help for spraddle leg. Thanks to everyone who has helped so far!

 

[HoneyBeeHomestead]

Hi! Taping her feet would help straighten the toes out. Here's an article with great pictures on how to do it. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...s-with-tape-picture-tutorial-and-video.75247/
Raw egg yolk can help give them some extra energy if she needs an extra boost.

 

[Sparrow-Song]

Hi! Taping her feet would help straighten the toes out. Here's an article with great pictures on how to do it. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...s-with-tape-picture-tutorial-and-video.75247/
Raw egg yolk can help give them some extra energy if she needs an extra boost.

Thank you! I tried the taping, but I worry there may be something up with her legs as well, and I’m not sure I got her feet completely flat either way. She cries incessantly after the taping unless she’s propped against a wall or held securely. Is there a reason the tape might be distressing her? Is the extra weight too much? Can I do something for the legs? Thank you

 

[Sparrow-Song]

View attachment 4122695
Thank you! I tried the taping, but I worry there may be something up with her legs as well, and I’m not sure I got her feet completely flat either way. She cries incessantly after the taping unless she’s propped against a wall or held securely. Is there a reason the tape might be distressing her? Is the extra weight too much? Can I do something for the legs? Thank you

Never mind, found splay leg, will try that. Thank you again!

 

[DonyaQuick]

I recently went through a similar foot correction for a chick. The first 24h I think was painful for her when she tried to stand, probably because tissues were stretching more than they initially wanted to, etc. Yours may be having a similar experience. When I got braces on my teeth as a teen it hurt at first for the same reason - pushing tissue a direction it needs to go but doesn’t want to.

I found a fluffy towel offered more traction. With slick feet from tape, it’s hard for them to get traction. Your chick may just need a change of substrate. Mine also looked like it was trending towards splay leg but I didn’t band it for that. Once the boots were off the splay issue diminished significantly.

 

[Sparrow-Song]

I recently went through a similar foot correction for a chick. The first 24h I think was painful for her when she tried to stand, probably because tissues were stretching more than they initially wanted to, etc. Yours may be having a similar experience. When I got braces on my teeth as a teen it hurt at first for the same reason - pushing tissue a direction it needs to go but doesn’t want to.

I found a fluffy towel offered more traction. With slick feet from tape, it’s hard for them to get traction. Your chick may just need a change of substrate. Mine also looked like it was trending towards splay leg but I didn’t band it for that. Once the boots were off the splay issue diminished significantly.

Okay, that sounds pretty reasonable! She does seem to be doing a little better than I thought. She is so little i suppose I have time to correct either way. Quick question: how would I know if one was broken vs curled? I am scared it may have been caught in the incubator because it had a little upset scales with a tiny red spot and looked a little different in terms of bending. Would the treatment be the same?

 

[HoneyBeeHomestead]

Okay, that sounds pretty reasonable! She does seem to be doing a little better than I thought. She is so little i suppose I have time to correct either way. Quick question: how would I know if one was broken vs curled? I am scared it may have been caught in the incubator because it had a little upset scales with a tiny red spot and looked a little different in terms of bending. Would the treatment be the same?

Since all of the toes are curled, I'd say they are just curled and not broken. Curled toes are pretty common, and broken toes are much less so.
I can't tell from the pictures, but if her legs are splayed far apart, she could also have spraddle legs as you mentioned before. If you're not sure, you can post some more pics of her legs. One of her lifted up where you are just holding her body might be helpful too. She might also just be struggling to walk with the shoes on, sometimes it takes a bit for them to get used to.

 

[Sparrow-Song]

Since all of the toes are curled, I'd say they are just curled and not broken. Curled toes are pretty common, and broken toes are much less so.
I can't tell from the pictures, but if her legs are splayed far apart, she could also have spraddle legs as you mentioned before. If you're not sure, you can post some more pics of her legs. One of her lifted up where you are just holding her body might be helpful too. She might also just be struggling to walk with the shoes on, sometimes it takes a bit for them to get used to.

I would say after a night of the “shoes” that she probably has mild spraddle leg—she’s adjusted a lot to walking with them but her feet are still tilted outwards slightly. I had a video of her legs but it would not allow me to attach it here. I will do my best to correct it a bit.

I don’t know about the broken toe, just because I worry it may have gotten caught in the incubator—they were unexpected and I didn’t take the egg turner out in time, so they had some issues trying to maneuver in it. I hope you’re right and I’m just being anxious—it’s very likely, I tend to fret a lot over them.

I do think that her feet themselves are a bit deformed—you may be able to see that her middle toes are far larger than her other ones. I worry this may be worsening the problem a bit. Of course it doesn’t help that I don’t have a steady surface for her—the tape seemed to slip even on a towel, so she unfortunately is having to deal with that too. Thank you for your help and reassurance!

 

[DonyaQuick]

I do think that her feet themselves are a bit deformed—you may be able to see that her middle toes are far larger than her other ones.

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.

 

[DonyaQuick]

Okay, that sounds pretty reasonable! She does seem to be doing a little better than I thought. She is so little i suppose I have time to correct either way. Quick question: how would I know if one was broken vs curled? I am scared it may have been caught in the incubator because it had a little upset scales with a tiny red spot and looked a little different in terms of bending. Would the treatment be the same?

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.