Crawling Hen and Backwards Toes

[EurekaPaprika]

I have two different questions. Both pertain to Cotorunix quail we recently purchased for cheap to start this new hobby.

1. One adult hen shuffles along on her knees. She has enormous callouses on them due to it. We've had her separated ever since we noticed but I'm sure it was a pre-existing thing. I just cleaned her up today to see if it was due to injury and I don't see anything major. She can only extend one leg half way and the other is completely stuck bent. The question is: do you think this is something she could heal from with stretching and gentle working? I can't tell if she had anything broken. Trying to decide her fate here.

2. Just an odd thing I've noticed on one adult and one chick (few weeks old). Each has an outer toe that bends backwards (not under, but back). They both act perfectly normal, not hindered by it at all. Is this a genetic thing? Did they break their toes?

 

[NorthTexasWink]

My advice based on these birds becoming your foundation breeding stock. It's my opinion and not gospel.

Cull them all. You can't be sentimental about it. If you let bad genetics become the basis of your flock, you are doomed to failure. Birds that are not hardy in your situation will only give you more birds with the same failings.

Don't be cheap when acquiring breeding stock. It's best to start with the best you can afford. It will save you more than just money in the long run.

 

[Binki]

Hey there, is your hobby for eggs or will you be breeding?

That poor hen with the bad legs, do you maybe have a picture/video of it? Is it possible it could have been splayed legs that were never fixed?

Would it be better for her to move around on sand substrate? It's possible the legs were broken from being dropped or caught on something in their cage, even caught between some wire maybe.

I have a male who has broken his toe sideways from I think getting it caught in some long grass in the aviary. Yeah it sounds stupid but I've seen him get stuck in a grass loop and just rip it out - the broken toe doesn't seem to bother him although it is literally sideways, I think it has interfered with him mounting as I've noticed he's doing a lot more half mounts lately. He also loves to snuggle LOL.

 

[EurekaPaprika]

We raise chickens for eggs and my husband just decided he wanted to try quail. We've eaten some of the eggs. I don't imagine us getting seriously into breeding.

I will try to get some pictures tonight.

 

[EurekaPaprika]

Ok here's some pics

Ok so leg R has some flexibility but doesn't fully extend. Leg L won't bend at all.

I know some of the scabs are due to falling through looser woven wire. That's why she's been on cardboard. We have a big tub thing we could use in the future but need to fix the lid first. I could put sawdust or dirt in it. (Our dirt is very soft and sandy)

And this guy is the reason why I will not consider culling all of these birds. We had them all together at first but this guy was the least favorite rooster and his eyes got pecked. We set him in this crate for a few days to monitor. I thought he would be blind! But one day he had some tears in one eye, and the next day it was opening. We thought "Great! One eye is good, we'll give him a chance with his own little harem and no other roos." And then the next time I went out, his other eye was just fine! A scab had formed over his entire eye but it had peeled off!

The most fascinating thing about raising animals is watching how God created them to be so resilient, and so self-sufficient. I am always willing to give an animal a little while to show improvement. I have been able to see miraculous recoveries with just a little patience and tender care. I've experienced it with horses, bummer lambs, chickens, quail, cats, and dogs. There are times when the help doesn't help but oh- there are times when it does!

The only reason I ask about this hen is because I don't have the knowledge-base to tell if she will make improvement.

Does anyone think this roo and hen could live together? Maybe with another hen or two? She was with other birds when we bought her.

 

[Binki]

Hmm so the hen was kept on wire? If so, could be an infection similar to bumblefoot but instead of on the foot pad it's on the legs/knees where she was laying down?

Just an idea! You hatched her yourself? Wondering if she was born with a deformity or if this developed?

And yeah, I "do what I can" to help others including animals and some animals have made amazing recoveries - damn nature, you're tenacious!

 

[EurekaPaprika]

I don't know if she was born with it, we bought all our birds from someone about a week ago. He gave us a good deal so we let him give us whichever ones he wanted.

How would you treat it if it were an infection? I cleaned her up one day and used Neosporin.

 

[Binki]

I'm not sure I'm sorry, I know for bumblefoot you can do surgery for it but it's not always successful.

I think there's some antibiotics you could put in her water like Rooster Booster but I think? They're mild antibiotics, somebody claims that a cabbage poultice helps with infections, perhaps an Epsom salt bath would help but wouldn't cure... I'm sorry I don't have experience with it and am not sure what to put on a kinda open wound infection, I would assume it would be the same method as what you would do with chickens if that helps your research??

I'm not sure if it's infected but looks like it eh? :O

 

[Binki]

Thinking about it some more, some people use Tricide Neo to treat bumblefoot which is an infection in a birds foot.

Tricide Neo is originally used to dip koi fish in for a few minutes to treat their ulcers.

The great thing about it is that for bumblefoot, it's just a few minute soaks in the Tricide Neo solution every day/few times a week and the bumblefoot was cured, they noted the black plug got loose and fell off itself.

It has an ingredient that breaks into the bad cell walls so the antibiotic can get in there and be extra effective. This might be an option?

 

[birdmandan]

Not sure if acquiring these would count as a good deal. Seems more problematic to treat the issues. Culling and restarting may be the most humane solution. They may be inbred, hence your problems. Inbreeding is a serious problem with colony breeding.