Why I check chick feet regularly now!

[BlueChai]

I had a very interesting thing happen to me a few days also and I will certainly keep it from happening again.
My partner and I were putting some chicks into a box because we had a customer showing up soon, and we wanted to take them out to show them. I noticed one of the chicks looked ill, so I picked them up. Upon further inspection, I noticed something that I didn't expect. This chick has five toes on each foot, and on both feet, the inward facing toes were wrapped with hair so tight, that the toes turned black. I panicked, I had never dealt with this before. I tried to free the hair, but it was so far deep I couldn't reach it. The toes were dead anyways, so I cut them off. It was really hard for me because even though the chick didn't feel much, cutting off little baby toes doesn't sit right. I cleaned the wounds off with iodine and wrapped gauze and medical wrap around their feet. The chick is doing fine now, but one of the wounds is healing much slower than the other. I hope it turns out alright.

My advice to everyone is to check their chicks' feet frequently. I would hate for anyone else to end up with dead chick toes that may lead to infection. Just as you check for poopy butt, check for strangled toes or feet, especially if someone in your home has long hair.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Thank you for sharing

 

[BlueChai]

No problem c:! Have you ever had any chick injuries you would consider strange?

 

[Ducksandchickens]

My chicks really never had any weird problems!

 

[sawilliams]

I had one that developed slipped tendon later on when it was possibly almost 2 weeks old. I agree always check and watch for anything out of the ordinary. Those little chicks can't take to much stress as it is and is much easier to fix problems at the first sign then later on.

 

[Nambroth]

A good PSA!
Of note, wildlife rehabilitators often get wild birds (especially chicks) in that have lost toes, entire feet, or become fatally entangled... in human hair. People with good intentions often put hair out for nesting birds, but they very frequently become entangled in it in their nests because it's longer and stronger than other natural fibers they would encounter (animal fur, etc).

 

[BlueChai]

A good PSA!
Of note, wildlife rehabilitators often get wild birds (especially chicks) in that have lost toes, entire feet, or become fatally entangled... in human hair. People with good intentions often put hair out for nesting birds, but they very frequently become entangled in it in their nests because it's longer and stronger than other natural fibers they would encounter (animal fur, etc).

Thank you! That is very interesting. I've seen many blackbirds in my area missing toes and entire feet, but I never knew it was due to human hair. I had no idea hair was strong enough to cut off the circulation so badly. Last night I did research about the hair entanglement, and apparently it is extremely common in human babies. Hair will get wrapped around their little toes and fingers and cause swelling. I didn't know that hair was this problematic until now, haha.

 

[Jjdesmo11]

I have a 2 week old chick that got wrapped in hens matted feathers. I didn’t wrap it. Do you have any pictures? I’m worried about Bumblefoot infection.

 

[RodNTN]

Great job on catching this!

 

[Cayuga momma]

My oldest chick had what I'm guessing a dislocation in her leg when she was 3 weeks. It happened twice. Both times my husband without thinking picked her up and tugged on her leg and then she was fine. Never happened again. Was very weird.