Bent foot

[Wspinner91]

Hello all. I had few ducks hatch on Saturday, they are doing great. However I did notice one has a bent foot, just the toes are crooked. She is walking around but I'm not sure if should be left. Can I splint it somehow?

 

[Miss Lydia]

yes tap or make shoes

• CAUTION: A chick wearing Chick Shoes can easily drown if it stumbles near a water container. See "Prevent Drowning in Water Dish"section.
• Use for splinting and correcting Twisted Toes, or sometimes to help with Curled Toes. (With Twisted Toes, an adult or chick walks on sides of twisted toes. With Curled Toes, a chick walks on tops of curled toes.)
• Cut out a small, flat triangle a little larger than the size that the chick's foot should be when toes are spread. Position each toe correctly and then use a small piece of sports tape to tape the toe to the cardboard.
  • Triangle be cut from sponge, thin cardboard/paperboard or a piece of a plastic lid from something like a sour cream container.
  • Illustrations that can be adapted for chicks or older birds are posted at http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/710778/deformed-claw-unable-to-fix-now-what.
• A different type of chick shoe splint can be made from pipe cleaners (or flower arranging wire and thin padding, for older chickens).
  • Instructions for this kind of chick shoe and also a half chick shoe at http://www.unitedpeafowlassociation.org/PeachickOrthopedics.html
    • Recommendation: Use sports tape instead of duct tape.
• If treating young chick: Important to put on new shoe at least every 1-3 days while feet growing fast.The chick will likely need to wear the shoes a total of 4 days to 2 weeks, depending on the severity of the problem
  • Make sure shoe size increased regularly so foot doesn't outgrow shoe. Toe Taping (See below) may be better for treating some problems.
  • Notice and correct sooner if chick wiggles toe into wrong position, before deformities are caused.
• If treating older bird: You may want to treat moderately twisted toes if causing problems. Do not try to correct long-term, severely twisted toes. Bones, muscles & ligaments are mature & may not be able to be reshaped, or will change more slowly.
  • Aim for gradual reshaping.
  • Check regularly that there isn't too much debris sticking to shoe, & that toes haven't slipped loose.
  • Change the shoe at least every 4-7 days.The bird may need to wear the shoes and/or have its toes taped (See below) for 2-5 weeks.
• *Be extra sure to follow Special Note on Removing Tape from Legs, Feet & Toes instructions.

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