crooked toe on suspected roo

[bethandjoeync]

When i was out in the coop yesterday we were putting bands on all the chicks legs so we can start tracking their sex and characteristics as they grow. anyways, we have two that we are pretty sure are roos, and I noticed one having a crooket toe. I never noticed it before, and i am pretty sure it hasn't been that way his whole(7 weeks) life (maybe just recently or something). it's not swollen, or red or any warmer than the rest of his leg. he seems to walk okay on it and roost and such. so my question is do you think this will make him look weak to the other roo that he is growing up with? he seems fully functional other than that darn toe I will have to get a picture of it today if I can catch him...he's quite fast

 

[debilorrah]

This may sound silly but are his nails too long?

 

[bethandjoeync]

no, it's permenant. I tried to see if it would bend back into the correct (straight) position and it didn't. I need to get a picture of him, but with the rain here, I haven't gotten around to it.

 

[bethandjoeync]

Here he is. it's his inside toe on his left foot (right side of picture)

close up of it. he was gripping the slick board so it's bent even more than usual. he bends it when he walks so I know it is functional.

should i clip his nails? they don't seem to give him problems. he is normally walking around on the straw in the coop (rarely goes outside cause he's a scaredy roo)

should I leave it as is? there's no swelling or redness, and he doesn't limp at all

 

[RevaVirginia]

Suspected Roo...makes it sound like one of those crime shows

Maybe it's a gang sign

Sorry, had a local mini crisis. I wouldn't worry about unless he does.

 

[bethandjoeync]

anyone else have suggestions?

 

[bethandjoeync]

bump

 

[walkswithdog]

Crooked toes have three real reasons for being there. Genetic - his parents threw the gene, incubation - chronically low incubation temps will cause crooked toe/s, injury you missed but that healed.

I have a couple chickens with one crooked toe, I won't cull those but will watch their young. I have one delaware cockeral who is otherwise very nice but he has FOUR crooked toes, two on each foot. He's out of the breeding program. A mixed presentation like his is more indicative of genes than incubation.

Your guy should be fine. Watch his progeny if any, and if they all or most of them have it. He'll need to be sold or culled.

Otherwise he'll be fine.

 

[Bird Brain]

If hes walking and roosting I wouldnt see any point in trying to fix it. I doubt he would like having his toe broken.

 

[bethandjoeync]

we got him from TSC so I don't know his parents. but i don't plan on breeding him. I'm not even sure he will make it to maturity, kwim? he may end up at the freezer farm.

I was just worried about him being overly picked on by the other roo(s). so far I think I only have one more roo, and he seems to be the alpha to this point, from the way he acts. although both of them are little scaredy roos lol, they're the worst screamers of all the little ones lol.

thanks for the help