Chick born with bended fingers

[anchutka]

I have Silkie chick hatched with bended fingers on one leg. Its almost a week old and eating and drinking well. I was incubating 12 Silkie eggs, 4 of them was just empty, other just didn't make it. One was hatched blind and died same day.I have Bobwhite quail born same day with same problem on both legs. What possibly could get wrong with them?

 

[Pele]

Bent toes are usually a sign of a shortage of nutrients in the hen, or of the chick being crammed into the wrong position in the egg. The good news is that it's very fixable. Cut out a cardboard fan shape roughly the size of the chick's foot, and tape the chicks foot in straight formation to it. Chicks' bones are very flexible at that age, and can be trained to be straight. Keep the boot on it for a week so that the chick's toes are straight, and it'll grow right permenantly.

You can use whatever tape you like, but I've found electrical tape to be the best.

 

[BrattishTaz]

The link in my signature has great info and pictures to help you with your chick. Good luck.

 

[anchutka]

Thanks guys! You really helped!

 

[cmom]

I don't know what causes bent toes but I have a rooster who has bent toes and none of his chicks have had bent toes. He gets around fine. I never thought about taping them when he was a chick. Good idea...

 

[Minniechickmama]

It seems there are a lot of folks with this question this week...

This 'deformity' is due to either the humidity being off during incubation or inbreeding. If you are seeing it with more than one chick or breed or species, you probably had the humidity wrong during your incubation. I have had it happen too, that is how I found this out, researching to see what I did wrong. If you catch it early enough, it can be corrected.

I use pipe cleaners (like kids use for crafts), and bend them to the right size and shape for the chicks foot, and then I tape each toe to the pipe cleaner for about a week and then it seems to be fine. I use BandAids cut into narrow strips to keep them on. It will pull feathers out when you remove it, but if you do this when they are within a couple of days, I think it is just down you pull off and they get their real feathers in just fine.

Good luck. Cute little Silkie!

 

[gale65]

Quote:
OM Goodness-that is too cute.

 

[BrattishTaz]

Good job!

 

[anchutka]

This method works great! I just got tape off and OMG its fixed! My chick can run now!

! That was quick

Sweet

Thank you again!