Help-Curled toes

[Corg33]

I have a new chick that is eating and drinking fine, his legs look strong but his toes are curled up. Is there a way to fix this?

It will not let me post a pic yet

 

[trailchick]

The info below is on:

https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry


■Use for splinting and correcting Twisted Toes, or sometimes to help with Curled Toes. (With Twisted Toes, an adult or chick walks on sides of twisted toes. With Curled Toes, a chick walks on tops of curled toes.)
■Cut out a small, flat triangle a little larger than the size that the chick's foot should be when toes are spread. Position each toe correctly and then use a small piece of sports tape to tape the toe to the cardboard.
■Triangle be cut from sponge, thin cardboard/paperboard or a piece of a plastic lid from something like a sour cream container.
■A different type of chick shoe splint can be made from pipe cleaners (or flower arranging wire and thin padding, for older chickens).
■Instructions for this kind of chick shoe and also a half chick shoe at www.peafowl.org/ARTICLES/1/
■Recommendation: Use sports tape instead of duct tape.

■If treating young chick: Important to put on new shoe at least every 1-3 days while feet growing fast.
■Make sure shoe size increased regularly so foot doesn't outgrow shoe.
■Notice and correct sooner if chick wiggles toe into wrong position, before deformities caused.
■If treating older bird: You may want to treat moderately twisted toes if causing problems. Do not try to correct long-term, severely twisted toes. Bones, muscles & ligaments are mature & may not be able to be reshaped, or will change more slowly.
■Aim for gradual reshaping.
■Check regularly that there isn't too much debris sticking to shoe, & that toes haven't slipped loose.
■Change the shoe at least every 4-7 days.

■*Be extra sure to follow Special Note on Removing Tape from Legs, Feet & Toes instructions.

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Toe Taping

■Can be done on any age chicken to help fix individual Broken or Deformed Toes or improperly rotated back toe ("Duck Foot").
■Sports tape works well.
■When repositioning toes, make gradual changes. Be careful that tension from tape doesn't cause excessive pain or damage skin.
■Change tape regularly to monitor for infection and chafing, and so that tape does not inhibit healthy growth or restrict circulation.
■At least every other day for young chicks.
■Every 4-5 days for older chickens.
■*Be extra sure to follow Special Note on Removing Tape from Legs, Feet & Toes instructions.


*** Special Note on Removing Tape from Legs, Feet & Toes ***
Use baby oil to gently and easily remove sticky tape. Then use waterless instant antibacterial hand cleaner/sanitizer to amazingly easily clean off baby oil. Note: You SHOULD NOT USE DUCT TAPE, but if you do, try using a cleaning spray such as 'Goo Gone' to remove the tape. Then wash the legs with dish soap & rinse off.

If you are not careful how you remove tape, you can cause a chicken pain and damage. The bird likely will also become reluctant to put pressure on places where the skin has become sore. It may then develop more problems with distorted standing and walking patterns, and troubles with deformed bones.

The taping may only take a hours, a day, or two unless the curling is severe.
Good luck

 

[bikerchic]

I made a shoe for mine and it fixed the problem. Make sure the bottom is slide resistant. I used cardboard and a bandaid. It fixed the problem in a couple days!

 

[Corg33]

Thank you for the replies. We did put the band aid and cardboard on its feet but the other chicks were picking on it real bad. His legs were also splayed from the curled toes. Plus if we had not been watching over him he would have drown in the water. His loud peeping told us he was not happy so my husband thought it was best to cull it. Also we have to young boys that have been waiting for the chicks to arrive and we did not want to put them through a possible loss.

 

[bikerchic]

so sorry!

 

[Backwoods Bntms]

I use sand paper and put the sand side down.

jj