Curled Toes on a 9 week old

[CityChook]

Hi - I tried to do a search first on crooked or curled toes, but it seems to be mostly a problem for new chicks.

I have a 9 week old Buff Orpington that I noticed this evening with a crooked toe on each foot. I handle her daily and haven't noticed this before. Scares the heck out of me - they look broken. It's her inside toe on each foot. It's not crooked all the time, it just bends backwards when she walks. It doesn't seem to hurt her.

Is this actually curly toes? Some background: I have 4 BO's, all 9 weeks old, still living in my office in a half dog crate. They free range for 3-4 hours each day. They eat medicated feed, get BOSS/millet as treats and are housed on pine shavings. They seem very healthy and are growing fast.

What the heck could this be? Is there something I should be doing?

 

[arlee453]

If it is brand new symptom, could be an injury...

As you mentioned, most curled toes are congenital - from birth. I've got a 12 week old pullet out there now with a curled foot that gets around just fine.

If you are really worried about it, you can make a boot for her foot out of a plastic lid.

Cut a circle out of a plastic lid (like would come on a tin of coffee, etc) larger than her foot.

Put her foot on the lid. Since you are worried about the toes, you can use make-up wedges or small rolls of gauze pads, or trimmed styrofoam, etc to place between the toes to hold them in the proper alignment. Trim your wedges of material so they aren't much taller than the toes themselves.

Use surgical/bandage tape to tape the foot to the lid. Trim around the lid close to the foot. More surgical tape. Then you can use vet wrap if you like, and duct tape or something similar to wrap it more securely around the foot and up the leg.

Leave it on there until it comes off or for at least a few days, then unwrap and check and back on if needed for another few days.

That should help keep the toes straight so they will heal straight it if is a case of broken toes.

 

[CityChook]

Thank you so much - if it was broken, wouldn't it hurt? She doesn't seem to be favoring it at all. At least I know it's not curly toes...

Again, thanks -

 

[sammi]

have you been giving chick vitamins?

wouldn't hurt to give her some vitamins..Poly-vi-sol liquid baby vitamins, Enfamil brand, no iron.. 2-3 drops on beak once a day for a week or so, then taper off..in the meantime start giving chick vitamins...
with free ranging they might not be getting enough of the chick or grower feed nutrition..

might not hurt to make a "splint" and try to straighten the toes..
could try making a foot pad of card board and band aids..
others might have splint suggestions.

it's possible it's genetic..but I'd try to fix it..