broken toenail

[Bandera Grassland]

One of my young roosters has broken off his middle nail. His toe is a little swollen and he favors that foot. What remains of the inner nail is rotated around and pointing up. What should I do: pull it out--ouch, soak it in peroxide, give him meds, leave him alone?

 

[Judy]

Believe I'd soak it, probably in warm water with a little soap or peroxide, rinse, then Neosporin. I suppose put him on the roost and see what it looks like in the AM. It could use the rest of an isolation setup but it's so bad on them socially to do that, they have to come back as the lowest in the pecking order.

 

[Bandera Grassland]

So the toenail growing up is okay to leave? I'm not sure I have the stomach to try to turn it anyway.

 

[Judy]

Likely a bit too late to try that. Hopefully it won't bother him tooo much after it settles down since he won't be walking on it.

 

[HHandbasket]

We have a barred rock pullet that is missing 2 toenails on her left foot and has been since we got her. She obviously had been injured previously (she was a 6-week-old pullet living amongst a large flock of about 40 chickens of various sizes and ages when we got her, so she probably had been injured somewhere along the line out there). She does favor that foot, even at 7 months old, but she's the sweetest bird. She occasionally limps but she is fully functional and lives a normal, healthy life. She's my little sweetie!