Broken Toe Nail

[TheSpiceGirls]

My Andalusians keep breaking their toe nails. I've never experienced this with any other breed. Just the Andalusians. They are aggressive scratchers and I think they are just catching it on a root or something in the garden. I'm not seeing ANY blood in the coop or on their logs or any other place in their run where they could be snagging their nails.

I feel awful for them because it clearly hurts.

Anyone else experience this? Suggestions? Should I trim their nails more often and try and keep them shorter? Or leave them alone and let them grow long like they seem to want to grow?

Or is this just something that happens and deal with it?

 

[Granny Hatchet]

they dont look too long but i agree, that looks painful. could try shorter but i would increase the calcium too.

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

I suppose more calcium wouldn't hurt. They get layer ration in their feeder. There's a HUGE bowl of oyster shells and I bake and crush all the eggs shells I can and let them have those and they hoover them up.

I know they sell liquid calcium drops. Maybe it's time to pick up some of those and give them a few drops.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

wait and see if someone else can help or tell us if too much is a bad thing. if your giving them all that already. i wouldnt want to be the cause of something wrong with them

 

[Granny Hatchet]

was reading on it . says 2.7% is upper limits of calcium. too much can cause liver failure . the best is free choice .

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

Okay. I'll wait. They haven't had yogurt in a while so maybe I'll just give them some tomorrow. That shouldn't hurt.

I just feel awful for the little hen cuz you can tell it really smarts. But I'm hesitant to go pull her off the roost and do anything to it. I think it would REALLY hurt her.

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

Well, I really wanted to go get her last night and soak her in warm water and put something antibiotic on nail but I didn't. She is a bit of a wild child and doesn't like to be picked up. She'll come eat right out of my hand and I don't want to break that trust we have. And I figured me touching her toe would really hurt.

She's up and about his morning. She's standing and not laying down like yesterday. She had her foot tucked up under her and I got her to put it down so I could see it and it looks pretty well dried up. So I think she'll be okay. I'll watch her closely over the next few days to make sure it doesn't get infected.

Still not really sure what she did to break it or how to prevent it. I guess chickens will be chickens and stuff like this is gonna happen.

 

[lsac44]

Hi!!

I know this post is a couple of years old...but any good way to keep this from getting infected? My poor Black Links ripped her nail off last night You know that had to hurt!!! I just mainly want to make sure it doesn't get infected.

 

[SavageDestiny]

Hi!!

I know this post is a couple of years old...but any good way to keep this from getting infected? My poor Black Links ripped her nail off last night You know that had to hurt!!! I just mainly want to make sure it doesn't get infected.

A spray like Vetericyn will keep infection at bay. Rinse dirt off with a sterile saline solution and spray with Vetericyn a few times a day. Or you could wrap the foot to keep dirt out if you're really worried.

 

[luvmyduck]

Crackers, my crested duck, must have pulled out her nail on her top toe. It doesn't seem painful, I touched it gently and she didn't move away. Can u tell me what infection looks like and if her nail will grow back?