curled up toes

[LittleChickenGirl2011]

having a million problems tonight

along with all is a chick with its toes curled up. they are kinda crooked, and she cant really walk... its baby about a day old. she hasnt walked properly yet, and is starting to pant and look a bit sick... any help on this one?

 

[pgpoultry]

It may be an irreparable deformity, but a pic would help.There are a number of threads on this site for curled toes and they can sometimes be managed with a little bit of splinting of the feet.

Pipette/syringe the chick with a little sugar water whilst posting pics./deciding if it would be a kinder thing to cull the chick.

 

[Minniechickmama]

It all depends on what you mean by curled. Yes, pictures can be helpful, but I think if you try this, you may have some luck:
Get a pipe cleaner and a band-aid. Use the pipe cleaner to bend to look like the footprint of the chick, and make it the size to fit its toes; tape the chicks feet to this 'shoe' for about a week. It should straighten it if it is just a toe curling problem.
I would also give it a drop of Poly-Vi-Sol baby vitamin drops, but just one drop. You can sort of take the tip of its beak and put it on the hole on the dropper and just give a drop that will run into the side of the beak and it will drink it. Just one drop is enough and make sure you use the kind with NO iron. If this doesn't work, then you should cull it. I have had it go both ways, but usually if it is just curled toes, it corrects it and you will look back and never know anything was wrong.
Good luck.

 

[LittleChickenGirl2011]

they stay like this when it tries to walk on them.

ps: i do not cull. I belive in letting nature take it's course. I Give my best, but if they go, they go on their own.

 

[OvertheHenHouse]

I'm really sorry you're having such a tough time. But curled toes can be fixed! Minniechickmama provided information that is great. Also, please check forum posts for additional info on splinting deformed toes. There's lots out there, and it can be done successfully from what I've read. But if your chick is panting and looking sickly, please make sure it's getting access to food and water (probably with electrolytes in the water if you have them) and isn't being edged out by the others because of its deformity.
Good luck -

 

[LittleChickenGirl2011]

i just stretched them out, becuase i have pity little to use to make a splint. can i sub tape with bandaids? BUT the stretching seems to be helping... she can walk!! they are curled when she walks, but not like before. Before she just dragged herself around. SHoudl i just keep stretching them to see if that works?

 

[honfor500]

I cant see the pic but I have a chicken that is 2 years old and when I got her she had severely curled toes and walked funny but after time went by she slowly walked better and better. Good luck

 

[OvertheHenHouse]

Chicken physical therapy - for sure keep stretching those toes!!! Stretch them and massage them = it seems to be working, so good for you! What a great idea to do that. You do with what you have - and you're doing great. Your chick is doing better, so keep up the good work!

 

[Minniechickmama]

Yes, the stretching will help, but you can also use a piece of light cardboard or heavy cardstock and tape and accomplish the same as with pipe cleaners. Cut a pice of cardboard the size of the whole foot. Make it the shape of a pie piece with the pointy corners cut of to round it a little. spread the toes out as they should be and tape it that way until it has it on a couple of days. Make sure your tape holds. They will look like artificial duck feet. I just like doing it with the pipe cleaners better because it holds the toes in place better, but the cardboard or heavy weighted paper works just the same.
Good luck.

 

[LittleChickenGirl2011]

Quote:
i tired it and a few problems. 1) the tape wouldnt stick. 2) the baby couldnt walk, it's feet kept slipping all around, and it almost fell into the water bowl

3) all the other babies attacked it's feet really bad when i put it on there... i cannot move the babe cuz i dont have another source of heat for it