Spraddle leg AND curled toes?

[erinnyes]

Hi! I'm rearing some new Dutch Bantam chicks and was looking for some advice on how to care for a young chick that seems to have some leg issues! For one, it's toes are curled, badly on one leg and one toe is curled on the other (I think this happened after it tried to move around, and maybe the lesser curled toe it wasn't born with). The chick is vigorous and gets around okay by hobbling, but it's definitely also spraddle legged as well as curl toed.

I started with a basic foot splint with instructions I found http://www.avianaquamiser.com/posts/Chick_curled_toe/ <-here. But even with the feet flat the chick still was walking awkwardly with it's legs spread out, sliding outwards as it moved. So I also put a hobble on it with tape to keep it's legs in the correct position.

The little chick can now stand like a normal chick, but it's walking is pretty awkward. The feet are in the right position but it kind of skips around, and flops over from time to time. Also, the other chicks pick at the tape, and so does the chick wearing it.

My questions are whether both the splint and hobble are to be used at the same time? Or should I do one one week and then the other? And does anyone recommend a method that would distress the chick less? It's still eating, and I put rocks in the waterer so that it can't pitch forward and drown in it, but it seems awfully uncomfortable and I'm worried that as long as it's wearing these things I can't put them with my broody hen like I intended to do with the whole flock. I feel like it needs to be supervised!

Am I worrying too much?

 

[erinnyes]

Still looking for help on this!

 

[erinnyes]

Bumping this again

 

[VioletandBodie]

If the poor bitty is having so many issues he shouldnt be put with a mama yet. I would keep both on he may not be happy but once there off he will be able to walk more normaly then before it may not be perfect but better then before. I hope you have good luck with your little one!

 

[erinnyes]

Thank you for the advice! It's day 2 of his corrections and he's walking better already. Still awkward, especially with the hobble thing on his leg, but his toes look great now. I'm thinking tomorrow he can be put with the broody, once everything is taken off. I thought about leaving the stuff on longer, just in case it all reverts back, but I don't want to torture him longer than necessary

 

[erinnyes]

Just wanted to follow up here and let everyone know what happened! The chick wore the "shoes" and the hobble for about 3 days, and I had to change the shoes every day because they fell off. The hobble didn't fall off but I changed it anyway. The chick couldn't walk well and the others pecked at him a little, but after 3 days it's feet looked really straight. It still had a slight spread leg "waddle" moreso than the other chicks, but it didn't seem to impair it's movement any so I let it be.

I'm happy to report that 2 weeks later you can't even tell which chick it was - it's completely healed and it's toes look great! The awkward gait corrected itself with time and now it runs around with no difference in it's gait to the other chicks. Yay!