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

 

[Quailpower]

I dont think its fair to cull it just because its not had a good start to life.

i wont be breeding them so if he has poor genetics it wont be a problem.

With some work with the shoes and a little physio hes managing to walk a bit and has improved. After a few more days he should be just like the others.

 

[BobDBirdDog]

In my experience's, I think turning has something to do with it as well. I failed to turn a setting a couple years back as I was sick, and got quite a few balled feet.

My solution is aluminum metal duct-tape (wally world) not the Grey cloth like duct tape.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Duck-Brand-HVAC-Aluminum-Foil-Repair-Tape-1.88-x-50-yds/17300797

This duct tape is metallic aluminum so there is no fumbling around with pipe cleaners. Just cut a small rectangle section the tape about the size of the foot in normal position (the longest toe and the 2 side toes.

Cut to the diagram below, fold and peel the tape half way to expose the sticky and straighten the feet. Place the foot at one point, facing the widest part and spread the toes out in normal position and stick them down. Then finish peeling the tape and expose the rest of the sticky and fold over the other half of the tape to make the top of the """"SHOE/cast". Leave it for a few days.



(Link to Better and updated instructions in the BYC thread I created
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1160459/curing-balled-feet-and-curled-toes-on-docs).


You can crease the tape around the toes and it will help more to hold the toes in place.

As the chick start moving around more, he will get it dirty and wet, so when the time comes to remove it, the tape will peal off rather easily with a pair of tweezers.


The tape is more expensive (about $8.00) but 50 yards will make more than enough cast for a life time....if you need that many! If that is the case,you should take a look at your incubation process or look into getting new birds with better genetics.

 

[deliciouspits]

Wait a day or two.They usually straighten out on their own in 24 hrs.Crooked toes are common with late hatchers.

 

[CarleeG]

For me, the curled toes seem to correct themselves only if the bird is walking around on it’s own. If they are on their back and rolling around, I haven’t had any success with getting them to walk and uncurling the toes.

 

[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!

 

[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!

 

[birdmandan]

This is interesting... many people are claiming treatment is required. But some people are saying it will uncurl in a matter of days. If the 'successful' treatments were not implemented, would the condition have resolved itself?

 

[birdmandan]

Actually, many of the newly hatched quails of mine had curled toes. Within a few days, just about all of them self corrected. The inside of an egg is round so a bit of curling seems normal.

 

[SteveUK]

From what I've read. I'm not sure inbreeding quail affects anything other than fertility.
There is a different between inbreeding and bad breeding.
Would I breed from a chick born with a deformity? No.
Would I breed from good examples of closely related birds? Yes.
Therefore, is it best to cull deformed chicks?
That's an individual choice.