Quail chick with curled toes

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:
It's not spraddle leg, the toes are actually curled and he's 'walking' sort of on his ankles.
I ended up trying the 'booties', but he won't really walk...

I realize it is not spraddle leg...I was drawing a comparison (see 2nd sentence)- I apologize for the confusion. Those malleable bones is what I was referring to, during the first few days.

 

[crankster76]

curled toes is a result of low humidity. leave them in the bator a day with a 70% level to help solve the problem..

 

[nurse_turtle]

How's he doing today?

 

[Fleabuskitty]

I definitely blame the low humidity - I couldn't get it above 50% for a while. He's doing about the same now, I put the waterer in the brooder with lots of rocks. He didn't drink any on his own but when I held him in front of it he did drink.
crankster76 - Would keeping him in high humidity really work? He's been in the brooder/out of the incubator for a full day now, but I could set up a rubbermaid container with wet paper towels or something if that would work.
I really want to try to fix it because I know that (if he lives) he won't be happy growing up unable to really walk.
He is able to get around a little, but sometimes he ends up on his back

He mostly just stays curled up with his stuffed toy.

 

[nurse_turtle]

I've never heard anything about keeping humidity high AFTER the hatch. Air that is too humid can cause respiratory distress. Humidity levels will make no difference in anatomy.

 

[Fleabuskitty]

The quail chick died last night

I was actually surprised he survived the first night, he was really weak...

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:
I am so sorry for your loss. You did your best.

 

[Fleabuskitty]

Ok, today is day 23 that the eggs were in there (didn't take them out because chickens were hatching). I came home from school today to find two new baby chickens (as expected)... but also a quail! On day 23! This one's toes seem alright, too. It's just... weird. I'm really glad I didn't throw out the eggs after day 19! Not only are the chickens 2 days late, but this quail is SIX days late! I think my incubator is a little off or something!

 

[nurse262006]

I had quail hatch yesterday morning. One of them is exactly like this. I also had to help him out of his egg. He seems to get better (stronger) every time I go in. He drinks if I put him by the water, pecks at food on the floor and hobbles himself back to the light. I'm not sure why this happened but he is also a button. Weird. I even took him out of the brooder last night bc he was on his back and I thought he would die faster that way (trying to help him die quickly) and he was still alive this morning so we put him back in the brooder and he is better than he was yesterday lol. I figured the curled toes was a defect but the humidity thing is possible bc my humidity was 50% first night of hatch and I got if up the next afternoon. Did you ever find an answer?