curly toes, walking on hock-help-UPDATE & ?'s post #6

[clothdiaperingmom]

Had a bantam cochin hatch this morning. I noticed his/her left toes are curled inward. This evening I was able to open the bator and look closer. It appears that he/she is walking on the left hock, and its starting to get red. Also, he/she doesnt seem to be able to straighten the leg out. If I lay him back in my hand, the right leg straightens out but not the left. Sometimes also tends to walk backwards...the leg is causing unbalance and he/she is trying to hard to get around. The chick uses the left wing out to try to balance when walking.

Is there something I can do? I found curly toes while looking up spraddle leg (1st hatchling, so had to have a place to start looking for info) and ricketts. I dont think taping the toes/foot is going to make the chick stand up and get off the hock.

The chick is lively, very alert, and chirping away. We havent tried food and water yet since the chick is newly hatched.

Anyone with ideas or suggestions on treatments? ??? I dont care if the chick is perfect, but at least able to get around.

Someone please give me some ideas!! Thanks

ETA: I tried to feel for the tendon, but since Ive never done it before, I didnt see/feel anything out of place. I will look again today.
I did a bandaid boot lastnite and it has flattened the toes out, however, he/she still doesnt stand up on that leg. It didnt help with getting around or straightening the leg at all.

 

[clothdiaperingmom]

No one knows anything about this condition?????????????????

 

[thespinningcottage]

I am not an expert by any means, but I'll share my recent weird experience with quail. We had a little runty one hatch with the most twisted, curled toes you can imagine. It seemed to move around just fine. It's two weeks old now and the condition has corrected itself! How odd is that? I didn't do anything for the little guy, they're so tiny I figured I'd break it if I tried to help it in any way. But nature had a plan and it all worked out just fine. In your case, I'd say give it something soft to walk on and wait and see. Hope everything works out okay!

 

[Bat Cave Silkies]

I've had chicks hatch with the curled toes; I DID tape both sides of the foot with the toes extended in a natural position. After taping, the chick was able to ambulate well. After 72 hours, I removed the tape and the toes stayed in their correct position. Its also important to make sure your brooder floor is covered in something the chicks can get good traction on, like Rubbermaid shelf liner.

 

[fldiver97]

if you taped the toes and are concerned about straightening the lag my first thougt would be to make a little soft splint along the leg so it is more straightened. I would try a soft pad (a little gauze or cotton) around the leg andthen either a thin strip of vet wrap or self clinging gauzewrap. It should not be rigid so it will not dig in to aything when the chick wants to settle and rest, should not be too tight, you don't want to compromise circulation. The toes can be done with the bandaid bootie. Hopefully over 2 -3 days it will be straightened out. Now - I have not done this in chicks but I would hope it works.... Good luck

 

[clothdiaperingmom]

UPDATE: I did a bandaid bootie lastnight. Lord it took me forever to get it off because of the tiny leg and I was afraid the skin would get ripped off.
I set the chick on a hard surface so dh could see how he walks. He got around a little better on a hard surface (not the wire in the bator).

I got polyvisol and he took a drop this afternoon. I mixed the medicated chick food with warm water and put the end of his beak in it and the water, but he didnt seem interested in eating or drinking. (At what point will they normally start to eat/drink?)

He is now moved into a brooder of his own.......wood shavings with paper towels covering. He doesnt walk around as much as I would think a chick would. But he is at least standing more upright (even though hes holding his left leg up and standing only on the right) He did make it across the brooder quickly.....I was surprised. I will tape his foot and up the leg this evening.

Does this sound like the riboflayvin deficiency (peratosis sp?) that I came across in all my internet search?

He must be lonley by himelf, but I dont want to put him in with the couple day old chicks we got. Though might it be alright if I put 1 of the chicks in with him? (He has a small stuffed animal in there, but doesnt snuggle up to it) Or do you think the chick might pick on him?

Thanks for any help!

 

[BetsyOK]

Sounds to me like he has an Achilles Tendon problem. If it started right from hatching, the groove the tendon fits in at the back of the hock is probably malformed. They hold the leg up because it hurts to straighten it out. If left untended, it will fuse permanently in that position. There is nothing you can do (short of a specialized orthopedic surgery) if it is a malformed tendon. However, if it was caused by an injury, there is hope for a cure. Gently take the hock between your thumb and forefinger and roll it back and forth. If it is an injury, you should be able to feel the tendon pop into and out of place. Try that, and if that's what happens, I can advise you what to do from there.

 

[clothdiaperingmom]

Quote:
The chick hatched that way.

Can they live with it?

 

[Terri O]

My new roo that I got from a shelter had a leg that stuck straight out at hatching and toes that are maybe what you are seeing. They had surgery done on him to remove the sticking out leg and he is now about a year old. he hops on his "wrist" with the toes curled under. Seems happy enough, but he is definitely crippled and will have to be kept away from other well chickens for his whole life. Be aware that this is what might happen to your little one. Terri O

 

[BetsyOK]

If your flock is very small and the others don't bully it, it might live with it. However, it becomes harder and harder to get around the heavier the bird gets, and they have trouble getting enough to eat and drink. They have to use their wings to even walk when they get older, and the first joint of the wings becomes distorted from rubbing on the ground. In my experience, they can't fly either. If it were mine (I tried and tried to make it OK with the few I've had), I'd put it down humanely.