day-old chick with "curled feet" (last attempt before culling... )

[technodoll]

yes... We had to change the "shoes" 4 times now, she kept getting stuck with the first ones, then we tried dimes which made her walk like a ballerina in too-tight shoes, then we tried without cardboard and just the sticky band-aid material, that didn't work either. Back to the original shoes, which fell off again from being picked on - her toes are curled inwards but it's her ankles that bend the wrong way that are the problem, they push the feet under her legs instead of allowing the toes to lay flat on the ground. I'm at a complete loss

 

[LarryPQ]

Gotcha- I was skimming fast so I didnt get busted at work. Sorry, I misunderstood.

 

[Kittymomma]

 

[ChanceRider]

Awww, sorry to hear about your chickie. I've had good luck with putting "snowshoes" on chicks with curled toes. Another thing I do is give them Poly-vi-sol (without iron). One of our meaties had such curled toes that it walked on it's hock joints. After a few days on the vitamins the toe issue was resolved. It's always hard to watch them struggle to thrive.

 

[technodoll]

I just had the brilliant idea of making shoes/ankle splints with pipe cleaners and surgical tape... DH is on his way home from work and will stop at Walmart to get the supplies, this is a make-it or break-it attempt...

The babies get Super Booster in their drinking water - http://www.drugs.com/vet/super-booster-can.html - would a change to poly-vi-sol make any difference? I have some here...

Everyone is thriving except for this poor sweetiepie -

oh this has GOT to work... otherwise we will have no choice

 

[Happy Chooks]

I'm so sorry.

I really hope the new leg splints work for her.

 

[QuinnP]

did the chickee die?

 

[technodoll]

OK so DH and I fashioned some splints inspired by this design:

http://www.peafowl.org/ARTICLES/1/

Only we included some ankle/leg support as well - I think this MIGHT work... toes are in correct position for the first time!

The surgical tape didn't hold at all so we had to wrap everything (surgical tape, toes, pipe cleaner) in sticky stretchy band-aid strips so it makes for heavy clunky feet, in two days or so we'll take everything off to see how the foot is reacting and then make a lighter splint.

I can't give up on this sweet baby if there is hope her feet and toes will straighten out...

I just want her to have a normal and pain-free life. You have to love them that much

 

[nanawendy]

Very interesting I hope it works

 

[springchick91]

mine had similiar problem here's a pic of what mine looked like and i gave here with a droper to her beak once a day for 3 to 4 days and she got better it was frustrating at first but she recoverd fast it because of a vit def . heres a pick of her

thats what it looked like when we got her now i cant even tell which oen she was made full recovery.