Day old chick not on feet due to curled toes? Would a shoe help?

[ilikethedesert]

I have a less than 24 hour old chick that can't get up. It tries but one foot has curled toes so it house no balance. Can I make a chick shoe this young? Think it will help?

 

[Pele]

You bet you can! And the sooner you do it, the better. A shoe can be as simplistic as the end of a popsicle stick taped onto the foot with a bandaid. Just make sure to wrap the toes in a straight position. Your chick will probably start zipping around almost immediately after you wrap it.

Leave it on your chick for a week, checking every few days if it needs re-wrapping. Viola! Beautiful straight toes for a fraction of the price of a pedicure!

 

[ilikethedesert]

Is adhesive from a bandais- or tape- as I've read going to hurt it's little feathered feet? It's a silkie with about a million toes!

 

[Pele]

It might hurt a little to have it's feathers pulled out, but those grow back. And quite frankly, slowly starving to death because it can't walk would hurt more.

 

[ilikethedesert]

good point. It still can't walk and one of it's legs- the curly toe one is forward more than the other. Do I need a bandaid brace? I taped the foot last night and it can now sit upright on its hanches. but falls over when it tried to get around- or it walks in circles.