Foot Deformity???

[tia]

I noticed my little duck I helped hatch has a curled up foot... it all appears to be there, but it isn't flat like the other one. Is something wrong with it...or is it because it is early??? What can I do??? I started a new post because I thought with a different subject someone might respond. Thanks! Any info that you can give me would be good.

 

[SunnyCalifornia]

I've never dealt with ducks, but I've made several "chicken shoes" for chicks with curled toes. I used a piece of thin cardboard, laid the foot flat, and used medical tape to secure it to the foot. I changed the shoes about every other day, so that I could adjust it for growth, and clean the foot, and make sure the adhesive wasn't causing any damage. It took about a week, and the foot began to stay in the right position. I must warn you, they are very clumsy with a shoe, and you need to make sure they can't fall in their water, they might not be able to get out, and will drown. It takes a lot of TLC, but the chick I just helped with a shoe is now happy and normal.

Not sure if the same thing can be applied to ducklings, but its the best info I can offer?

 

[tia]

Thanks... the little guy is up trying to get around....I will try it, as soon as he gets his strength a little and dries off.

 

[QuailQT]

Aw, the poor baby

I just had this very same thing happen with one of my chicks. I had a terrible hatch rate with my last batch (tried hatching using the dry method AND with pulp egg cartons-wouldn't recommend it, but) I had to help one hatch and the foot just looks different than the other-like it's swollen and boneless (for lack of a better word...).

Could you PLEASE show us a picture of your cardboard shoes? Also how you wrapped it? Would that sticky wrap (like for horses legs) work?

My chick is a few days old now and I hope that it isn't too late to fix it. What we don't do for our little babies, huh?

TIA-Good luck on mending your ducklings foot-keeping my fingers

and saying a little prayer....


Just another little thing-I've noticed that I usually get a chick like this when I have a bad hatch rate (usually have great luck).

I love the dry hatch method-had great luck the time before last when i used the turner, but I had another batch in my other incubator and only one turner, SO I just used the pulp egg cartons and tipped my LG up with a little prop and then moved it to the other side the next time. The humidity level was good, but my egg cartons were absorbing the moisture. A lot of the eggs STUCK to the carton and some had a mildewy/moldy powder on them. If anyone tries this, I highly recommend cutting a small hole in the bottom of the egg carton cups. I don't recommend this method, but if you want to try it, that's just my .02.

I did open a lot of the eggs and most of them were fully developed-it was such a shame.

I had to help another one from that same hatch because it wasn't zipping, it was just making a hole bigger and bigger. That chick's foot was just fine. I wish I could figure out what the foot thing is caused by and why is it ever only one foot?

 

[tia]

Here is a picture of it. There were 11 eggs and all of them hatched okay, but this one. Maybe if I had waited it would have been okay too.

 

[QuailQT]

Thanks for the picture!

That middle toe is puffy like the one on my chick. Doesn't it almost look like the bone didn't harden up or something? My chick doesn't even like to put any weight on it-like it hurts.

i will try this-thanks again

 

[SunnyCalifornia]

Here's the video of chicken shoes

VIDEO

 

[dolly85]

Here are some informative pages for you to check out. I noticed in your previous thread someone suggested you may have caused this problem by helping the duckling out. This is NOT the case! The curled toes are the result of a problem during incubation, whether it be nutrition, humidity, turning, etc. I think that the deformed foot was making it difficult for your duckling to hatch out, and if you hadn't intervened he may not have had a chance at all! You did the right thing IMO and have a good heart. Good luck to you and the duckling!!! Every creature deserves a chance.

http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/BRKRaisingChicks.html

Curled Toes This site has pictures of boots being used on a chick for your reference! Halfway down the page or so.
Another problem that can appear in new chicks is that of curled toes. Sometimes this is genetic, but often it's a result of some problem in incubation/hatching. In this case, if done in the first few days, before the bones harden, the toes can often be splinted and thereby straightened out.





http://farmingfriends.com/what-causes-curled-toes-in-poultry/

•Curled feet can be genetic and due to inbreeding. It’s only safe to breed ducks down by three generations, thne new stock needs to be introduced.
•It can be due to poor nutrition and a vitamin (riboflavin) defiency in the breeding stock.
•It can also be due to infra red light in the brooder.
•Conditions in the incubator can also lead to problems – bacteria in the incubator can lead to hatching problems and if bacteria has gone through the shell then it can effect the keet, duckling or chick.

 

[tia]

The foot seemed to have straightened out, but the poor little guy has spraddle leg. I don't know if that was caused by the foot or not. But I did put a hobble on him... a piece of yarn above his joint and then a bandaid right above his foot. I am hoping that will help. He is a fighter and seems to be full of energy. I hope all of these problems don't stress him too much. I brought him home from school again tonight. I kept him in the incubator today and now have him in a brooder with another little duckling from the same hatch. If the foot is flatened out, I'm thinking I probably don't need the shoe. What do you think?

 

[Shiloh Acres]

Glad I saw this. My chick I had to help hatch today seems to have a similar problem. I was debating if he'd have to be put down, but I like to try to give them all a chance. I'll try this today. Thanks!!!