broken toe?

[GoodEgg]

Not an emergency of course, but I wasn't sure where to put this ...

I noticed today that one of the Australorps seems to have a broken toe. It doesn't seem to be bothering her at all, it just sometimes bends at an odd angle (the very last joint) when she turns a bit.

I think if I tried to do anything for her, they'd all just peck at it.

Is this a common thing to happen? Are there any potentially serious problems that can come from it?

I am wondering if the roosts may still be too high. They are about 30" off the floor, and there's one thing for them to jump on before the roost. I know they are getting heavier and it might not be as easy as when they were small, but they used to fly to higher roosts directly with no jump-stop. (Maybe I should put this under coops instead .. ?)

But I'm wondering about her toe ...

Thanks!

trish

 

[SpottedCrow]

It could be broken. But if she's not having a big problem walking or perching then I'd leave her alone.
Heavy breeds need a lower roost because they can hurt their footpads jumping off of high ones.

 

[GoodEgg]

She seems perfectly fine. I just noticed that that joint is at an odd angle sometimes ... flat on the ground, but just not straight from the point the foot touches the ground. Only the tip is a little different angle. And usually it's straight.

I don't want them to get hurt, and a few of them are getting HUGE. I guess I better remove the roosts and lower them. I took out the higher roosts for that reason. They are gonna be upset with me for lowering AGAIN.

Thanks!
trish