More toe curling questions....

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

 

[PoultryPedia]

There could possibly be a riboflavin deficiency in the diet of the parents, though curling usually starts younger--at a few days of age. If this is the case, my understanding is that extra riboflavin in the chicks' diet still mighthelp them recover.

I looked up the supplement you're using & see that it does list Riboflavin as a significant ingredient, so it may be helpful. If problems continue, you might try another supplement. Or adding some high-Riboflavin foods, such as paprika, dried coriander, spearmint, parsley, ground almonds (you can grind these with a hammer), dry roasted soy (NOT fresh soy), cheese, ground sesame seeds, etc.

Riboflavin is also degraded by exposure to light, so be sure your feed isn't stored in light, & also isn't more than about 3 months old (Most bags show the milling date on the bag).

Be careful about keeping or selling ones with curled toes. From what I'm reading, they generally die within a few weeks from their feet being so painful that they stop being able to walk to food & water.

There is a little info on treating Riboflavin deficiencies & chick shoes & other treatments that may help on the Poultry Page in the website linked in my sig below.

I don't know if Riboflavin deficiency is for sure the cause of your chicks' toe problems, but I hope you are able to determine what is & find a solution.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Thank you for the info!

That might possibly be it, though none of my chicks have ever died from it, and usually live to a ripe old age happy as a pig in a blanket.

 

[al6517]

WMR : I don't know if all breeders do this and my guess is not many, but if I have birds I plan on collecting eggs from to hatch I know this in advance and they do get another totaly special diet weeks prior to collecting them to improve embyro viability & fertility and other things to help the chicks hatch better and thrive without any issues.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

They are already on the best food I can buy... is there a supplement or something I can mix with the feed?

 

[al6517]

Quote:
I start with fresh Purina Game bird Breeder in a 30% protein, it has everything you could want for good breeding health. them I mix in a few pounds of hulled wheat seed, the wheat germ pod is great for rooster fertility. then when I mix the daily ration I top dress the feed pan with a small handful of calf manna, that is a livestock nutritional supplement with vitamins and minerals that normal even good quality feeds don't have and in larger amounts, then I pour on about a capfull of red cell which is a blood transfer system booster, mix well and there you have it. They love the taste and eat it up, their vitality is better, they lay better and produce better quality eggs that hatch better and are more viable and produce a healthier chick capable of thriving without any of the problems associated with hatching just willy nilly with regular feed.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Awesome! Thank you! I will pick some up today!

Is the Red Cell a powder?

 

[al6517]

Quote:
No it is a liquid, you can get it just about anywhere the cell livestock feed and supplies, it is mainly marketed to horse people but Good poultry breeders have been using it with success for many years.

 

[Hennypen]

Quote:
Go see my post regarding Kaytee baby bird food. I had one that hatched with totally curled toes. It could not walk for 2-3 days. I fed it the baby bird formula so it got electrolytes and calories. Once it gained strength it's feet started to straighten up. Now it's doing GREAT and eating the regular chick starter.

 

[bcray]

I hatched out 4 Chicks - 2 roosters 2 hens - they were fine to 8wks old, the 2 roosters got curling
middle toes. the hen didn't get the curling toes , one cock got ok , where as the other got worse.
I never have had this problem in chicks before.I wonder what really causes it.