quail chick with curled toes.

[Lilyofsalen]

I have a quail chick with curled toes. I corrected the toes with tape "booties" but now the chick doesn't really walk. Also, when he does his legs splay outwards. Will the tape do more harm than good and potentially lead to spraddle leg? Is there something else I can do to help it?

 

[Lilyofsalen]

Make that two chicks with curled toes now . . .

 

[Nabiki]

Ouch. Sounds like your humidity was high during incubation. You can try the cup method where you put the chick in a cup that forces it to stand upright. They might improve, but be prepared to cull if they don't.

 

[FloorCandy]

How old are the chicks?

 

[Lilyofsalen]

72% is too high? I had 14 other chicks hatch out perfectly fine. I think the problem might've been that they were the last to hatch. I saw both of the curled toed chicks start unzipping last night. They finally hatched out this morning after I decided to help them. They had both unzipped but couldn't quite get out. I think they were both malpositioned/ had spent too long trying to get out. They both look fine aside from some curled toes.

For the cup method, I just put them inside a cup and put back in the incubator? For how long? I already took one of them out. The other is still inside the incubator drying off.

I've given the one I took out some electrolyte/vitamin water. I also just took off the "booties" because it seemed like they were causing it to develop splay leg.

 

[Lilyofsalen]

How old are the chicks?

Both hatched this morning.

 

[FloorCandy]

I believe it’s best to wait 24 hours from hatch to try to correct them. For the first day mine are in the brooder they are on bumpy shelf liner instead of bedding, this helps them get their feet and legs positioned correctly on their own.

 

[Lilyofsalen]

I have my brooder lined with paper towels. Will this work too?

If I still have to correct, what would I do? it seems like they're just too small for little "booties.

 

[Lilyofsalen]

Also, I've lined the hatching area in the incubator with bumpy shelf liner and the one that is still in it isn't walking right either.

 

[FloorCandy]

I have my brooder lined with paper towels. Will this work too?

If I still have to correct, what would I do? it seems like they're just too small for little "booties.

I put the toes spread out in a sandwich of painters tape, then I carefully cut the tape so it’s shaped like the foot, so it looks like tiny blue duck feet. Then I would put it in a cup or toilet paper roll. For tiny chicks the cardboard roll inside aluminum foil is actually an even better size I have found.