Veterinary advice should be sought from your local veterinarian before applying any treatment or vaccine. Not sure who to use? Look up veterinarians who specialize in poultry using our directory listing. Find me a Vet

Crooked Toes

Bent Toes

Overview

Crooked toes (CT) is a skeletal disorder affecting chickens that is characterized by the curving or curling of one or more of the toes due to a deviation of the phalanges, which gives the foot a crab-like appearance. One or both feet may be affected, with severity ranging from mild to severe. If the condition is caught early on, it can often be corrected, although even without intervention, chickens with crooked toes can live normal lives.

Depending on the severity, chickens with crooked toes may be more at risk of developing bumblefoot.

Clinical Signs

Bent or crooked toes

Diagnosis

History
Clinical signs
Physical exam

Treatment

Corrective grow-with-me sandal: If the deformity is caught early on, when the chick is still growing, trace around the chick's foot on a piece of paper using a pencil.
Using coffee stirrers, pipe cleaners, wooden skewers or other similar material, cut to the length of the chick's foot, as if it were it's normal appearance.
Secure the pipe cleaners (or similar-like material) to the toes of the chick using Vetwrap or duck tape (even normal tape would work). It should be snug but not too tight, as you don't want to cut off circulation in the chick's foot.
Secure the cardboard (or similar-like material to the bottom of the chick's foot and to the pipe cleaners.

Prevention

Ensuring chicks are raised on a surface other than wire or of slippery material.
Feeding a balanced diet

Scientific References

Eusebio-Balcazar, P., Oviedo-Rondón, E. O., Wineland, M. J., Osborne, J., & Brake, J. Effect of broiler breeder feeding programme and feeder space change at photostimulation using maize-or wheat-based diets on broiler progeny growth performance and leg health British poultry science (2015)
Eleroglu, H., Yildirim, A., Duman, M., & Sekeroglu, A.. The welfare of slow growing broiler genotypes reared in organic system. Emirates Journal of Food and Agriculture (2015)
Bryant, R. L., & Lockhart, W. C. Developing Inbred Lines of Poultry NDSU Institutional Repository (2015)
W Muir & S Aggrey Poultry Genetics, Breeding and Biotechnology. CABI Publishing (2003)

Good Overviews

A.F. Hicks Crooked Toes. University of California-Davis (1949)

Blogs

Feathers, Fluff, and Feet. Curbstone Valley Farm Blog

Geographical Distribution

Age Range

Newly hatched chicks are at risk of developing crooked toes

Risk Factors

Inadequate incubator conditions
Eggs were stored for too long prior to incubating (greater than 10 days)
The light and dark Brahma chicken breed is more at risk of developing crooked toes, as well as cataracts.