Quail Chick Curled Feet, Please Help :(

[Quailpower]

One of my babies has curled feet, and cant walk its just flopping everywhere. Ive been feeding him and giving water and just thought it was a bit slower than the others until I noticed its feet were curled.

Ive tried plasters but that didnt seem to work, I dont really know how to straighten them.

Could someone show me how or explain it to me?? Please I feel so sorry for the thing, and my partner says its cruel to let it live flopping around not able to walk

 

[drafthorse39]

What type of quail is it? A lot of people are getting quail with messed up feet due to inbreeding and such. I've had a few hatch, but I've had to cull since there was no possible way they would make it (couldn't even bend their legs at the knee). When did your baby hatch? It's definitely a time sensitive thing. I just had this happen with a peachick. The toes were in a tight fist. It took pipe cleaners cut to the length of each toe and clear medical tape. With a quail chick, the feet are way to delicate so I would try to straighten them out as much as you can, keep a strip of tape on a flat surface, press the foot as straight as you can on the tape. Then lay another large piece of tape over them, pinch in every area between the toes so they can't rotate. Get scissors and cut around the edges (this is a good reason to use clear medical tape) Don't take the tape off for a good 8-12 hours. Make sure you use cooking spray or some kind of oil on the tape before peeling, it'll peel the skin off. Update when you can. I hope it works!

 

[HappyChickenLover]

My wife says vitamin b work good for young age chickens with curled feet.

 

[buckbeak]

I had a chick like that once. I did "chick physical therapy" for a few days. Several times a day, I picked up the chick and gently flattened out its foot on my finger. It got better in a couple of days. I think mine just spent too long stuck in the shell- I don't know if that's what is going on with yours. Good luck!

 

[aprophet]

sometimes too hot a temp in the bator can do this, sometimes genetics can too.

 

[Quailpower]

my baby is a coturnix, and only hatched a day or two ago. i tried to tape the foot plat with a bit of cereal box and a plaster, but he still just lay there - only now beating the other quails with his massive spade foot haha, how long would you say leave it on for??

 

[drafthorse39]

It seems harder when there are small components involved, such as cardboard. But if you can make it work, then great! It's good to have a flat surface but sometimes the toes slide sideways or rotate individually on it. I would leave it on 8-12 hours like I suggested in the first post. It should work.

 

[Quailpower]

ive left them on for about a day and still no sign of wanting to walk, im wondering if they are curled at the ankle??

 

[Chateauredneck]

Some where on the Virginia Tech website I read to take a small dixie cup and cut two small holes in it and feed their legs thru and secure around the wings with a small rubber band...I haven't tried this .. so far have had four chicks out this last bunch with curled feet (purchased the chicks...and probably nit again) 2 made it just fine and the other 2 didn't..good luck

 

[DLS]

I always just pull the head off of defective fowl . It will suffer if you allow it to live. pull its head off
Get it over with