Curled toes, in retrospect

[cate1124]

Greetings, all! Today, I am celebrating the 9th birthday of three hens, my barred rock, Stella, my Welsummer, Charlotte and my black Australorp, Ginny. Here they are as babies:

Charlotte, the Welsummer, developed two curled toes on her right foot over time. It wasn't visible initially, as the video demonstrates, and didn't interfere noticeably with her gait for a long time. Looking back, I see subtle beginnings in a video I took at 7-8 weeks. My impression is that these two toes got worse over time -- it may initially have been just one -- though Charlotte has made do admirably, and has had a good, normal hen life. In retrospect, though, I feel bad for not correcting this, though I don't know if it would have been possible by the time I spotted the problem. She walks rather awkwardly now, with lots of sideways motion, but gets around capably, roosts without difficulty, and is part of the normal life of the flock. She adapted.

Anyone have any thoughts about what might have caused a slow-developing curl on two of her right toes? Her left foot is normal. She is a hatchery chick; I'm aware that incubation issues and riboflavin deficiency can cause problems in young chicks, but I'm baffled by what seemed to be a slow-onset deformity. I've not seen this issue in any other hen I've had. Could it just be genetic? I wish she hadn't had this issue, or that I had seen and corrected it -- though it has not kept her from enjoying a long life.

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[LaFleche]

Please post pictures or even a video of her toes as they are now

 

[cate1124]

Please post pictures or even a video of her toes as they are now

Please post pictures or even a video of her toes as they are now

Here's a few. Her middle and inside right toe hook inward.

 

[LaFleche]

First thing I notice apart from her toes: her nails are extremely long and should be clipped which will help her to walk.

Being a hatchery chick thete us nit much you could have done to prevent or help it.

Crooked toes can have a genetic cause or result when the incubator temperature is too high or when the chick is stuck in the egg/takes too long to hatch.

Crooked toes like this can be corrected immmediately after hatching. A few days later will be too late and they will revert.

ETA: Too much body weight/obesity will increase the pressure on her damaged toes and lead to limping.

 

[cate1124]

First thing I notice apart from her toes: her nails are extremely long and should be clipped which will help her to walk.

Being a hatchery chick thete us nit much you could have done to prevent or help it.

Crooked toes can have a genetic cause or result when the incubator temperature is too high or when the chick is stuck in the egg/takes too long to hatch.

Crooked toes like this can be corrected immmediately after hatching. A few days later will be too late and they will revert.

ETA: Too much body weight/obesity will increase the pressure on her damaged toes and lead to limping.

First thing I notice apart from her toes: her nails are extremely long and should be clipped which will help her to walk.

Being a hatchery chick thete us nit much you could have done to prevent or help it.

Crooked toes can have a genetic cause or result when the incubator temperature is too high or when the chick is stuck in the egg/takes too long to hatch.

Crooked toes like this can be corrected immmediately after hatching. A few days later will be too late and they will revert.

ETA: Too much body weight/obesity will increase the pressure on her damaged toes and lead to limping.

They all have long toenails at this time of winter, having been in the coop more and out on ground less. Hers may be especially long as an effect, not a cause, of the curved toes; I'll try to give them a trim as spring approaches; it wouldn't hurt!

She is not overweight, in fact looks great apart from the foot. (She is, very sweetly, squatting enthusiastically for me as spring hormones kick in, though she's long ago out of eggs.)

I didn't see a thing amiss in her first months, and I'm fairly observant; it seems if due to either improper incubation or nutrient deficiency, it would have been evident when she was a young chick. Or, maybe the former shows up down the road. Or ... genetics. In any case, she's figured out how to have nine pretty good years.

Thanks for responding.

 

[LaFleche]

In any case, she's figured out how to have nine pretty good years.

Hopefully, she will enjoy many more.

 

[ShotgunDog]

I have a girl with bent toes--One of my 10 RIRs that I got last year looks just like the feet in your photos. Her middle toe on her left foot is at a near 90-degree angle, and the middle toe on her right is bent as well, just not as badly. Because I am so very creative with names (not!), we call her "Bentoe". Having bent toes hasn't slowed her down at all. However she was quite the drama queen about having a leg band, so I did have to take hers off. But she didn't need the band for identification, since her toes are unique anyway. I did notice that the toes are quite thick at the bend. I suppose that is likely due to so much pressure and weight concentrated in that area. Hearing that your girl has lived a good nine years gives me hope for my own Bentoe!