Day old Duckling's Feet are Curled Under

[swampducks]

One of the eggs I gave my FIL for his incubator at the end of March hatched yesterday. I went over tonight to see and the cute little guy's feet are curled up in a ball. He bops around unsteadily, but I don't remember my ducks having this problem last year. Of course, mine were 3 days old from the feed store.

Is this something he'll grow out of? Or is he crippled for life? He's a pekin/rouen cross.

 

[DuckLady]

You will need to make a little shoe for him. Get an old credit card and spread out his foot on top of it and trace around it. Cut out the shape of his foot. Tape his foot to the credit card cutout using bandaids or vet wrap or something that won't stick hard to his delicate webs. Repeat for the other foot. Leave the shoe on for a few days and unwrap, check and make sure you don't need a bigger shoe, if you need one at all. Reshoe if needed.

 

[farmertank]

that is very interesting about the shoe. I have had this happen in the past and worked like a dog to fix it. I was doing "duck physical therapy"

But the little guy did come around. Maybe I helped maybe it straightened itself. But the shoe idea sounds so easy. I will have to do that next time. I'm glad this came up

thank you.

 

[swampducks]

Quote:
Okay, thanks for the advice, what do you think?

Plastic on the bottom, a bandaid over the top and then a piece of waterproof athletic tape to keep the bandaid on (the tape does not cover the foot, only the bandaid part does). The right shoe fell off after 10 minutes and I had to reapply. Hope they stay on for a few hours!

His little sibling on the left just came out of the incubator, I'm hoping his toes stretch out, at the very least they are already better than how the shoed guy's looked.

 

[DuckLady]

That is perfect!
(and oh, so cute!)

Keep us posted!

 

[swampducks]

Just a a quick update. DH was at the farm a couple days ago and I asked him to take the shoes off the ducky. (he'd had them on about 4-5 days)

He is walking normally!!! I saw him yesterday and while the middle toe of one foot has a weird bump, where it may be broken and healing off kilter, he has no trouble running around with his buddies.

I think it worked!

 

[DuckLady]

Great job!

 

[erin272]

We have a duckling with a similar problem. It's just one foot and it's curled right up and pointing backwards. I tried to do this and all it seems to do is uncurl it and keep the web open but it still points backwards and he won't put pressure on it at all. He will just wobbly stand on one leg or lay down?

 

[Amiga]

Just a a quick update. DH was at the farm a couple days ago and I asked him to take the shoes off the ducky. (he'd had them on about 4-5 days)

He is walking normally!!! I saw him yesterday and while the middle toe of one foot has a weird bump, where it may be broken and healing off kilter, he has no trouble running around with his buddies.

I think it worked!

 

[Amiga]

We have a duckling with a similar problem. It's just one foot and it's curled right up and pointing backwards. I tried to do this and all it seems to do is uncurl it and keep the web open but it still points backwards and he won't put pressure on it at all. He will just wobbly stand on one leg or lay down?

Are you using vitamin therapy also?