Need some help with chicks' curled toes

[Kundo]

My chicks were doing fine but 2 of them developed curly toes and cannot stand upright after almost 3 weeks of hatching. Can it be a case of injury? And if so, how do I help them? I have splint their feet with perforated tape but can I do anything to help them stand upright?

 

[Rachel96]

I'm not sure if I can help. I had a chick which hatched with curly toes a couple of weeks ago. I was very worried about it and several times a day I stretched out its toes for a bit to get it used to the idea of un-curling its feet. It took three or four days but it eventually uncurled its toes (the others who hatched with it managed to uncurl their toes about ten minutes after hatching). I think it was just a slow learner.

Did your chicks hatch with curly toes and always have them or did they develop them later?

 

[Kundo]

They hatched fine and they were even running around a lot a few weeks ago. Can it be because of another hen pecking at them? I have two batches of hatched chicks from two different hens kept together and I have caught the mother hens pecking at the other's chicks.
Or can it be because of some deficiency? I have been feeding them brown rice, fish, snails and green cabbages (a few times).

 

[Rachel96]

I'm stumped.

Are they curly as in sideways or clenched like a fist? Mine were clenched like a fist.

I can't really say much about the diet as I usually feed my chicks a mix of mostly chick starter, but I put in other smaller seeds and sometimes budgie mix for a treat (I feed my quails budgie mix so I have a lot of it). Most seem pretty healthy.

Do you cook the rice? Or not? I might try that with my next lot and see how they take it.

I suppose it could be because of another hen pecking at them. Maybe check them for sores or wounds? Especially on the feet or legs or around the hip area? I have no idea to be honest but I know that human children will clench the hands or feet sometimes if that limb is sore.

 

[seminolewind]

Did you do something like snowshoes? I myself would probably set the foot on duct tape-cut a bit bigger than the foot, then put another piece across the toes. Or something like that.

I would also give them vitamins , and I would get them chick feed, non medicated. They could have a dificiency-they do need some chick feed.

 

[PtldChick]

It could be a vitamin deficiency. I have a bantam oegb or d'anvers (not sure which) that developed curled toes and inability to walk at three weeks old. The only thing I've found that seems to fit is a b-vitamin deficiency. Since you're feeding home food and not a complete ration, that could be the issue.

I started giving poly-vi-sol without iron a couple drops a day, plus in the water. You could use a chick vitamin mix in the water. I tried a chick shoe and leg hobbles the first day and the poor thing couldn't move, so I took them off. But I was worried that it would develop incorrectly because it was sticking it's one leg out sideways/backward all the time, so I tried the hobbles and just one chick shoe on the more curled foot the second day and she is starting to move around a little bit now.

She is in a seperate part of the brooder from the others because I was concerned she would get trampled. I make sure she drinks several times a day, especially when she couldn't really move herself, and I put food down right in front of her so she can eat.

What I read said if you start giving vitamins when you notice it, it should get better in 3-4 days.

The leg hobbles I am using is a soft hair band twisted like a figure eight with the loop around each leg, then taped around the middle part. This seems to work better for her than the tape hobbles I tried first. The chick shoe is just two pieces of scotch tape with the toes uncurled in between. As a bantam, she's small enough that this works.

Search for the Poultry Podiatry page online for more info.

Good luck.

 

[seminolewind]

It could be a vitamin deficiency. I have a bantam oegb or d'anvers (not sure which) that developed curled toes and inability to walk at three weeks old. The only thing I've found that seems to fit is a b-vitamin deficiency. Since you're feeding home food and not a complete ration, that could be the issue.

I started giving poly-vi-sol without iron a couple drops a day, plus in the water. You could use a chick vitamin mix in the water. I tried a chick shoe and leg hobbles the first day and the poor thing couldn't move, so I took them off. But I was worried that it would develop incorrectly because it was sticking it's one leg out sideways/backward all the time, so I tried the hobbles and just one chick shoe on the more curled foot the second day and she is starting to move around a little bit now.

She is in a seperate part of the brooder from the others because I was concerned she would get trampled. I make sure she drinks several times a day, especially when she couldn't really move herself, and I put food down right in front of her so she can eat.

What I read said if you start giving vitamins when you notice it, it should get better in 3-4 days.

The leg hobbles I am using is a soft hair band twisted like a figure eight with the loop around each leg, then taped around the middle part. This seems to work better for her than the tape hobbles I tried first. The chick shoe is just two pieces of scotch tape with the toes uncurled in between. As a bantam, she's small enough that this works.

Search for the Poultry Podiatry page online for more info.

Good luck.

I like that. I have a 1/2 bandaid right now. I'll look around for somethint like a hairband.