Broken finger

[wendigo]

I didn't want to open yet another thread, but I think I became a bit too careful after losing almost all the flock to leukosis (4 survived out of 15). I bought 4 4 months old chicks yesterday, and I noticed that one of them has the outer finger from the right leg crooked to the side and a bit twisted. It's obviously broken, but I think it's been like this for a while. She doesn't show any signs of discomfort, she walks and runs normally.

Anything I should do?

 

[Judy]

If it's been like that for a while, there's probably nothing to be done. With a fresh break, you can duct tape it to cardboard in the correct position, or for a leg, straighten it and wrap it with vet wrap. Very often the fracture still does not heal correctly, but at least it heals with then ends of the bones stuck together. Since she walks confortably, I wouldn't try to change anything. My favorite rooster was named "Broke Toe" because he had, obviously, a crooked toe. Never bothered him, either.

 

[BantamLover21]

I didn't want to open yet another thread, but I think I became a bit too careful after losing almost all the flock to leukosis (4 survived out of 15). I bought 4 4 months old chicks yesterday, and I noticed that one of them has the outer finger from the right leg crooked to the side and a bit twisted. It's obviously broken, but I think it's been like this for a while. She doesn't show any signs of discomfort, she walks and runs normally.

Anything I should do?

I'm sorry you lost so many members of your flock--I myself recently had a young pullet die of (I think) leukosis, too. As for the broken toe, there isn't anything you can do since its been a while. Fresh breaks can be splinted, but to change the shape of a broken and now healed toe would require breaking it again. If the toe doesn't seem to be bothering your chick, she should be able to live normally. Lots of chickens have crooked toes, whether because of injury or genetics, and they get along fine.

 

[Wyandottes7]

I didn't want to open yet another thread, but I think I became a bit too careful after losing almost all the flock to leukosis (4 survived out of 15). I bought 4 4 months old chicks yesterday, and I noticed that one of them has the outer finger from the right leg crooked to the side and a bit twisted. It's obviously broken, but I think it's been like this for a while. She doesn't show any signs of discomfort, she walks and runs normally.

Anything I should do?

I don't think that there is anything you can do. If the toe had only recently broken, you could splint it, but you can't do that now. Many birds live just fine with crooked toes. A friend of mine has a bird with really curly toes, and she's lived happily for several years.