The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Bonzie on March 19, 2017, 02:34:19 pm

Title: Rooster's toes bent backwards.
Post by: Bonzie on March 19, 2017, 02:34:19 pm
8 month old rooster with toes of 1 foot bent backwards under it's foot and two on the other foot the same, may have been in a fight with older rooster not sure what to do. Would it be possible to splint and tape them and see if it helps or is damage done!.
Title: Re: Rooster's toes bent backwards.
Post by: Eve on March 19, 2017, 02:37:40 pm
Can splint and tape but when did it happen?
Title: Re: Rooster's toes bent backwards.
Post by: Bonzie on March 19, 2017, 04:32:07 pm
Must have been sometime today.
Title: Re: Rooster's toes bent backwards.
Post by: landroverroy on March 19, 2017, 05:51:55 pm
Sounds pretty horrendous. Surely it must involve quite a few broken bones?
If that's the case and I was particularly fond of the bird or it was very valuable then I would take it to the vet and get the job done properly.
Otherwise I'd get it put down rather than condemn it to a life of hobbling round, possibly in pain for the rest of its life.   
Title: Re: Rooster's toes bent backwards.
Post by: Bonzie on March 19, 2017, 11:22:45 pm
No broken bones as far as i can tell, have splint and taped up for now not holding out much hope.
Title: Re: Rooster's toes bent backwards.
Post by: Marches Farmer on March 20, 2017, 09:12:04 am
I agree with landroverroy but would suspect something had caught or fallen on the feet.  Cock fights generally involve a lot of damage to the comb and wattles and lots of blood.  We keep our young cockerels in with an older Peacekeeper over the Winter but split them up into individual pens or to run with their breeding group of hens by mid-February as even the Peacekeeper can't keep things on an even keel as the breeding season approaches.
Title: Re: Rooster's toes bent backwards.
Post by: Eve on March 20, 2017, 12:04:17 pm
When you put the splint on, could he grap your fingers? Did he have strength in those toes? I was thinking it might be neurological and the grip reflex was affected. When I've had birds with leg problems (I had a flock that suffered from Marek's Disease) they had toes curled up under their feet.
Title: Re: Rooster's toes bent backwards.
Post by: in the hills on March 20, 2017, 12:59:37 pm
We had a hen with similar problems. A neighbour who is a physiotherapist (for humans!) had a look at her and said it often indicates nerve damage. Ours did not recover.

She was 'attacked' by a young cockerel which caused the injury. He caught her, stood on top of her and plucked her as a bird of prey would do. There was no blood so wouldn't have known if we hadn't seen him do it. So don't rulel out a fight of some sort!

Neighbour said best chance of recovery was keeping in a restricted space to rest.
Title: Re: Rooster's toes bent backwards.
Post by: chrismahon on March 20, 2017, 01:15:23 pm
Sounds neurological and could be caused by joint injury and swelling. Best keep him quiet for a few days and check his joints for heat. You can tell if he has injury which is painful because his poo will be green- the brighter the green the greater the stress from it. Very bright green can also be a sign of infection.
Title: Re: Rooster's toes bent backwards.
Post by: Bonzie on March 20, 2017, 04:28:09 pm
Thank you all for your help don't wont to condemn the lad yet, would heat in the foot mean inflammation?
Title: Re: Rooster's toes bent backwards.
Post by: chrismahon on March 21, 2017, 12:36:26 pm
I was thinking along the lines of injury causes inflammation and perhaps blocks the nerves rendering them inoperative Bonzie. Yes you would be able to feel hot foot or knee joints, but not hip injuries. Should improve in a few days or perhaps a week if it's going to.


We had a bantam leghorn go off his feet for no reason at all and it didn't resolve, but at no time did his toes curl. If you watch chickens walk you usually see them curl their toes as they lift the foot and move forwards. Sensible really as it is far less likely to snag a toe. So I think a curled toe is one in a relaxed position, that is one that isn't being controlled.


Hope he gets better. You could try Metacam (anti-inflammatory) from your vet- it's cheap enough unless they want a consultation fee.
Title: Re: Rooster's toes bent backwards.
Post by: Eve on March 22, 2017, 09:29:42 am
You can tell if he has injury which is painful because his poo will be green- the brighter the green the greater the stress from it. Very bright green can also be a sign of infection.

That's news. As far as I'm aware bright green pooh is a sign of not eating, it's the digestive acids without digested food. So crop problems can have the same effect.

Amazing how bright it can get, one time I was half expecting it to light up in the dark  :D
Title: Re: Rooster's toes bent backwards.
Post by: chrismahon on March 22, 2017, 12:29:34 pm
You are perhaps right Eve, but it's not a condition we experience. Ours never get past a day with a crop problem because we clean the coops daily and can see immediately if one isn't pooing properly- if so we check all the hens in that coop. We then bring them for a water only diet and massage the crop until it is empty- just a few hours is usually enough. Almost always it will be one of the Buff Orpington hens, as every one we have ever had has developed an eating disorder.


How is your rooster today Bonzie?
Title: Re: Rooster's toes bent backwards.
Post by: Bonzie on March 22, 2017, 03:01:20 pm
Hi Chris, did a check of his leg this morning and it is very tender above the hock, also feet are hot but saying that he's getting around, can get up on the perch and treed the ladies but the toes are still the same. Not sure what to do or should I just cull.
Title: Re: Rooster's toes bent backwards.
Post by: chrismahon on March 23, 2017, 08:59:47 am
Ideally he should be separated and resting Bonzie, to give him the best chance of healing if that's the problem. We never despatch unless the situation is obviously hopeless and I don't think it is yet, but I'm not the person who has to make that difficult decision thankfully. It's always difficult- are you saving his life or prolonging his agony?
Title: Re: Rooster's toes bent backwards.
Post by: Marches Farmer on March 23, 2017, 09:07:47 am
We have an old puppy cage that's used for sick birds - thick layer of shavings for bedding.  We put a board on top to make them feel safe from predators and keep it in an outbuilding, with food and water available at all times.  A couple of days' rest often works, although we then put them in a larger pen on their own until we're happy they're fit to join the scrum of a larger group.
Title: Re: Rooster's toes bent backwards.
Post by: Eve on March 23, 2017, 10:50:33 am
Feel the temperature of your cockerel's legs and then compare it to other chickens' legs. Chickens legs easily feel warm - to the extent that it can feel as if they peed on your legs when they're sitting on your lap  :D  Also try feeling other birds' hocks, just for comparison.
Only suggesting it since when we had our first ever ill pig, we thought he was breathing rather fast, only to then see his healthy brothers breathe the same  :-[  #howtofeelsilly



From your description I too would not despatch him but leave him to rest unless his situation changes and he becomes undoubtedly in a lot of pain. There's an issue with his toes but from what you mention he's not suffering. Our bodies don't always have to be perfect  ;) 


Is there a good chicken vet near you?