Toes Falling off?!

[hollymh]

What the heck, I went to feed and check on my chicks yesterday and I noticed that one of them was bleeding pretty badly from their foot! I took her (a little welsummer) out and looked her over and she was fine with the exception of a perfect slice on her toe! So then I feel the need to check everyone and out of 6, 4 chicks had toes cut or completely missing!!! It's only their back toe so I have no clue what the deal is, one of the chicks toes was just hanging on by a thread so I left it and later it fell off, I separated the injured four and gave them antibiotics and they are all acting fine and seem to be perfectly fine with their missing toes but what in the heck could have happened!? It looks like someone took scissors and cut their toes off, it is a perfect cut?!?! Is there anything else I should do for them aside of the antibiotics?

I did check the cage; they are on 1/2in wire and were doing fine for two weeks until yesterday...

 

[HennysMom]

ouch! poor girls!

Maybe the wire is the issue given they are so young..... is there any way you can put cardboard in there and cover it with wood shavings until they get bigger? Sounds like its from standing on the wire (back toes to hook) and its too much for them right now.

 

[hollymh]

Quote:
See this was my thinking, I moved them back to my brooder until they heal up but I was planning on putting shavings over the wire to give them some cushion! Thanks

 

[dlhunicorn]

if not the wire you may have mice or rat issues etc.
You should be able to find a low sided box at the grocery store (cans of vegetables come in them)... find a suitable size (or alter) to fit your cage and put the shavings in that... (bonus>its free!)

 

[hollymh]

Quote:
A friend of mine mentioned that, but the chicks are off the ground on cinderblocks, it would have to be a huge rat to be able to reach them with the set-up the way it is... So I guess a rat could be the problem too, hmmm will the rat really go after them while they are alive and kicking!? How weird and disgusting!

 

[dlhunicorn]

yes indeed it is possible (and yes disugsting) ... that or as the other poster said that the chickies are getting their little toes caught in the cage wires (also a quite common problem) the box will provide a solution to that and not cost you a cent)