Help....young chicks feet are turning in!!!!

[GreatPyrLover]

I have a little bantam that is about 4 months old....I think I know what the problem is but I am not sure how to fix it....I have been feeding them laying mash and I think the calcium has messed up his/her legs....question is how do I fix it??????? Please help...I hate seeing it like this....how long should they stay on starter feed? Should I get some started feed to feed them now? I have four of them and this is the only one that has the problem....looks like its coming on pretty fast....yesterday morning it was only one leg and now its both....I can straighten its feet out but when I put it back down they "fold" up again....they are really small bantams. Thanks!!!! I can go to Tractor Supply today to get something.

 

[Clay Valley Farmer]

I don't think a calcium problem would come on so quick as I could see it being more a bone development issue over the long haul. What about some other causes, vitamin defficiency, moldy feed, botulisum, Marek's, poisoning?

 

[GreatPyrLover]

I know the feed is ok...maybe its a vitamin thing since they were not being fed the chick feed....I am going to see what I can figure out and check at Tractor Supply.

 

[Clay Valley Farmer]

It can be hard to know for sure the feed is ok, all it can take is a moldy lump of feed, or even just the chicken finding some dead or rotting treasure in a corner of the run.

The medicated chick starter is mostly to build resistance to cocci which they will encounter in soil and adult chicken poop. Symptoms of that are nasty, runny and often bloody poops, withdrawn, fluffed up. Does not really sound like your roos problem.

Chick starter won't hurt but I am doubtful it will help much at 4 months, roos with layers do ok most times eating layer ration. Likely more calcium than they need but mostly not a huge issue.

Non iron containing baby vitamins or chicken booster formulas can be worth a shot, again might not help depending on whats wrong but won't hurt.

Might be good to go through the 12 questions in the sticky at the top of the forum section to help isolate what might be wrong also look over info on Marek's and botulisum, good chance it is not but best to be aware for the health of the rest of your flock.