Day Old Chicks with Feet Issues- Cochin

[rebel985]

I have 2 Standard Cochins that hatched overnight... So I would say they are 6-8 hours old. This is my very first hatch ever. They seem to be having walking problems. It looks like they are walking on the sides of there feet instead of flat. I stuck a piece of card board for them on the floor of the incubator while they are in dry out thinking that because they were so tiny, they might have been having problems walking on the wire mesh floor. I also picked them up to make sure there feet were fully developed, which it appeared they were. The cardboard did not really make a difference. It looks like the outer "toe" is not flat, but rather wanting to fold sort of inward. If this is some sort of condition, and is there a fix? Will it correct itself on its own? I have seen where people put splints, tape, etc while they are starting to grow to help the feet flatten. Is this maybe something I should try? Any help on this would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.

 

[BasicallyHeather]

Well, they are still pretty young...they are probably still trying to figure out how to get around. I had similar issues with my hatched cochin/leghorn cross last week. For the first couple of days, her left leg splayed out to the side. I had watched her during that time, waiting to see if the issue would correct itself as she gained strength, but it didn't. I ended up making a splint/hobble for her out of a band-aid cut in half lengthwise, and left it on for two days. It fixed the problem, even though she hated having it on. I felt bad when it was time to take it off, as she has leg feathers, and the adhesive pulled some of the floof off. Clearly that bothered her

She is fine now, though!

Anyway, maybe keep an eye on the chicks for another day or so and see if things correct on their own. If not, there are lots of threads on here about making splints and boots for chicks! Good luck to you!

 

[rebel985]

I will do that... Thanks for the reply!