Boot for curled toes on 3 month old chicken **Update w/pics**

[ZooMummzy]

Quote:
Quincy will be a year old in April and she does really well at getting around on her curled toes. She only has one leg to stand on, so to speak, but she uses the other one to hold onto the sides of her cage and balance her. Most people would probably say she is not living a "chicken life" but she is happy. She honestly does not know any better. This is her life and it is a very good one despite her disabilities.

 

[yab]

are these toes that are literally curled under, or curled to the side? we had a chicken with curled to the side toes, and she lived for a good 9-10 years.. she would scratch, and sometimes in winter she might flit through the snow faster than the others.. but she survived, and died from a heart attack right infront of the neighbor girls

 

[ZooMummzy]

Quote:
Sorry for your loss of her

They are curled under but to the side. Lol sorry but it's hard to describe them and she won't let me take a picture. She is unable to scratch at all with her feet due to her bad leg, but she pecks at the ground in a scratching motion. Her disabilities have not slowed her down much. She loves to be outside in the nice weather and gets around her cage very well. She loves flying when she is outside. There is no way she would survive outside or with the other chickens in the coop. She is basically afraid of them (we have tried to get her a friend). She was being attacked by her chick-mates when I rescued her from the feed store and has been hand raised from 1 day old by me. I am fairly certain she will live a full chicken life with her curled toes and bad leg.

 

[Anny]

This post is very helpful. I have a 5-6 week old pullet I just got who has curled toes. I am considering trying to brace it since she is still younger.

 

[kysilkies]

Does the tape come off of their foot easily after being taped to plastic?...We have a baby that's going to need this treatment done today...

 

[ZooMummzy]

Not really, but I think if you use surgical tape, it will come off a lot easier. I originally used duct tape (bad idea) and it was really hard on her.

 

[PoultryPedia]

There are tips on my webpage on how to easily and gently remove tape from toes and legs. They have really helped on birds I've treated! You can click on the link in my signature below to read them.

 

[tara7815]

would you ever attempt this with an adult bird (almost 2 years old)?

She gets around fine but she walks on her knuckles on one leg only.

 

[PoultryPedia]

tara7815, of that is very kind to look for possibilities to help your hen with her foot deformity.

If the problem was just kinks in some toes, I might try a "shoe" brace or toe taping for 10 days or more & see if it helped.

But in your hen's case, I hate to say it, but she needs her feet to stay as they are.

Her foot & leg bones will probably have been affected and changed shape to handle the altered standing & walking angles she's needed. If her toes were straightened now, it would throw off her balance, and at her age her brain would have a hard time trying to program new ways to walk. And her adult leg & foot bones have already developed & solidified to the point that efforts to make significant modification would be painful as well as unsuccessful.

Chickens that have walked on twisted feet a while build callouses on the sides of their feet that help keep those areas from getting sore, if that's some consolation to know.

That's good she's been able to make adaptations that allow her to still travel around fine & be pretty comfortable!

 

[California_chickie]

I know this is an older thread--- but it is soo helpful! Just had to say thanks & bump it!