Sudden curled toes, what's going on?

Snozzle

Songster
8 Years
Dec 16, 2011
646
15
113
Tri-Cities Tennessee
I need help with my favorite little peep. He is about 8 weeks old and was doing great until about 3 days ago, when he began turning his toes in. It has gotten so bad that he is just walking on the sides of his feet now.
I asked my vet and other people and no one seems to know what is going on, we have been through everything and there doesn't seem to be a cause or cure.
Here is the background on him, I got him with 3 other chicks as a day old from a local lady, a few weeks later it became more clear that he is not a full silkie as previously claimed, but rather a mix, most likely polish mix. The other 3 peeps look full silkie and are doing fine, active, good weight, straight legs and bright eyed. They get a balanced diet. I feed DuMOR chick starter/grower, chick grit, boiled eggs, grass, veggies, mealworms and fresh herbs(whatever I have there for cooking), plus vitamins in their water, so there should be no way that it is any kind of deficiency. Now my little troubled peep has just had a major growth spurt and has gotten a lot taller and he does have silkie feet with 5 toes. Could the reason for his bad feet be from the crossing of the 2 breeds and his legs have trouble catching up to the rest of him? I have been putting braces on him, but they don't seem to help much. It's affecting both of his feet, though the right one seems a lot worse, so I doubt it's an injury.
These guys are still in the brooder since it is still a bit cold for them outside, but there is plenty of room for them since there are only 4 chicks. As a substrate I use aspen shavings with some hay over it, so he isn't on slick floors either. I don't know what else to do, I need to save him, he is the one I have bonded most with.
 
Hmm, I haven't ever had that happen. I suppose it could be genetic. I'm wondering if it could be something neurological, like maybe he had a stroke......

I am truly grasping at straws.
 
You might read this info. and see if anything helps you:

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/206930.htm&word=curly,toe,paralysis

https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry

The following is from wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thiamine#Idiopathic_paralytic_disease_in_wild_birds

Thiamine deficiency in poultry

As most feedstuffs used in poultry diets contain enough quantities of vitamins to meet the requirements in this species, deficiencies in this vitamin do not occur with commercial diets. This was, at least, the opinion in the 1960s.[37]
Mature chickens show signs 3 weeks after being fed a deficient diet. In young chicks, it can appear before 2 weeks of age.
Onset is sudden in young chicks. There is anorexia and an unsteady gait. Later on, there are locomotor signs, beginning with an apparent paralysis of the flexor of the toes. The characteristic position is called "stargazing", meaning a chick "sitting on its hocks and the head in opisthotonos".
Response to administration of the vitamin is rather quick, occurring a few hours later.[38][39]
Differential diagnosis include riboflavin deficiency and avian encephalomyelitis. In riboflavin deficiency, the "curled toes" is a characteristic symptom. Muscle tremor is typical of avian encephalomyelitis. A therapeutic diagnosis can be tried by supplementing thiamine only in the affected bird. If the animals do not re
 
Like I said I highly doubt that it is a deficiency due to their varied diet and none of the others showing any signs of ill health, but the ideas to make him more comfortable I will have to try out, he is having a hard time getting around.
I just checked in with them a minute ago and he seems to be moving around a bit more now and he actually had both feet flat on the ground, though wasn't standing up completely on them. Maybe it's just wishful thinking, but it seems like a slight improvement, but I don't know what changed. I fed shredded carrots yesterday because I got some for my rabbits and some egg, cilantro, basil and mint, I will do that again today, maybe that is the magic mixture.
 
check that your vitamin supplement contains riboflavin, i had something similar happen to one of my chooks and as soon as i gave it a double dose of vitamins with riboflavin it came right in less than 12 hours.
 
No actually the supplement doesn't contain it, but the foods that I feed additionally to the starter/grower feed are high in B vitamins.
I checked him again this evening and his left leg he is putting weight on now, but his right one is horrible, it is just sticking straight out in front of him now and he is making little painful noises and I haven't seen him eat or drink for a while now. I don't think it's an injury, because both feet were curled under at first. I give him until tomorrow after work, if I don't see an improvement I won't put him through this anymore.
 
My little guy is gone! He was my favorite little featherbutt and the first one I ever lost. I know some people just think they are there to dispense eggs or throw in a cooking pot, but I am crying my eyes out like I lost a family member. I loved that little guy, he had the most unique personality.
Thank you everyone for trying to help
 
He was the oddball, I got an adult silkie roo and 4 day old chicks as my first chickens. My Beaker turned out to be not so silkie after all, he was actually a polish mix. While everyone else was being shy and running away from my hand in the first few days, this little guy would peck at my finger completely fearless. Every time I would try to take a picture of the others, he would knock them out of the way just so he could be in the front. He was very special to me, I held him for a long time last night and got to say goodbye. I do have 6 eggs in the incubator though and they are due on my birthday next week, maybe there will be another little oddball in there, not to take his place, but to keep me busy and not think so much about Beaker.
I am sure you can tell in the picture which one he is...look at me look at me... lol
 
My little guy is gone! He was my favorite little featherbutt and the first one I ever lost. I know some people just think they are there to dispense eggs or throw in a cooking pot, but I am crying my eyes out like I lost a family member. I loved that little guy, he had the most unique personality.
Thank you everyone for trying to help

So sorry for your loss! I understand what you mean that some people think they are there to just dispense eggs, more power to them for being able to keep away their emotions! When I lost my first hen to a domestic dog we found her in a heap just dead. I picked her up and carried her under my arm while hubby and I got the tools to bury her. I was fine until it was time to toss the first shovel full of dirt on her and I lost it, she was my favorite hen and I had named her. I won't name any more of them, but now I have an ill hen that has been in my bathroom for two weeks and she is the sweetest thing and I refuse to give up on her as she as stolen my heart! My chickens have become my pets, they all have their own personalities and are so fun to be around. Non chicken owners just won't ever understand, I get the oddest looks from people when I tell them about my pet chickens and how fun they are! Now if only I could get hubby to allow me to put diapers on them and run around in the house!
 

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