Fishing line wrapped around chicks leg

[ryanhodapp]

This is so embarrassing I am afraid to post. I have about 5 week old chicks in a rabbit hutch. I laid a piece of carpet in there so their little feet wouldn't fall through. One must have scratched at the carpet and loosened up a thread that looks like fishing line. The line was wrapped around like one toe i got it off but the toe nail looks like it is dying. Blister on foot too. I cleaned it and put antibodiac cream in both feet. I have been out of town for two nights nd DH was in charge. So I don't know how long she was wrapped up in it. What should I watch for? Should I be doing something else?

 

[CMV]

It will either be fine or not. Nothing to do about it at this point but wait and see. If the toe starts to blacken then it's dying. It will wither up and fall off on its own with no intervention on your part. You can keep it clean with straight betadine/iodine washes to help it dry up faster and prevent any potential infections, but even that is not really necessary. Chickens lose toes all the time and it doesn't impact them at all. She may be a bit unsteady on the roost, but she will adapt to it with no loss to her quality of life.

Don't beat yourself up. These things happen.

Good luck with her.

 

[seminolewind]

Just keep watching it. It may die and fall off. I have several chickens and a canary that are missing a toe and never noticed why , and I would have noticed why, believe me.

Antibiotic ointment is only going to help if the skin is broken.

My chicks get put in a hutch at a month old. It has the wire bottom too. I put a low flat box in it so they have something soft to sleep on. But the rest is uncovered.

 

[ryanhodapp]

Thank you and I will just watch her.