Twisted--not curled--toes on 3 week old chick

[EggDropSoup]

Hi all--

I have 15 chicks that I received exactly three weeks ago. They've all been really happy and healthy so far, but tonight I discovered an issue with one of my salmon favorelles. This chick is the fattest of the bunch and is also the most underdeveloped in terms of feather growth--even though he (I suspect he's a roo, given his wing plumage) is HUGE in terms of weight. I'm wondering if he's fat because he's having difficulty with mobility? Tonight, I discovered that he had severely crooked toes on both feet and was walking on the sides of his toes as a result. This is not an issue I've noticed at any other point, and I've held/played with him quite a bit because he's so sweet and docile. He seems moderately uncomfortable and "sits" more often than the other chicks as a result. Since he's three weeks old, I'm worried it might be too late to try making him some booties? Is it worth a shot? I don't plan on keeping him (can't have roos in my neighborhood), but I had someone who was going to give him a good home, and he's awfully friendly. I don't want to give up on him. Would vitamins do any good at this point, or should I just try the booties? My chicks are eating non-medicated, organic, soy-free chick starter. I've been supplementing with hardboiled egg mixed with plain yogurt and ground flax (they LOVE it). They get apple cider vinegar in their water daily.

Has anyone had success straightening the toes on an older chick? All the info I've found pertains to chicks who are only a few days old. I will try to get a pic tomorrow. In the meantime, any advice would be great! Thanks so much.

 

[lonnyandrinda]

From what I've read trying to help my own little ones, if you get booties on it within a few days very good prognosis, within 1-2 weeks still a good chance they will be fine, older than that is hit and miss. Personally I would give it a try. Go ahead and give him some baby vitamins (like PolyViSol), one drop in his beak once or twice per day. It can only help. Given that he is older the boot will need to stay on longer- I would put it on and leave it for a week then see how it looks but most likely will need another week. If after two weeks his feet still haven't straightened out on their own then you will have THAT decision to make.