See the section on Care of Young Chicks for details on treatment. This condition is one seen in growing birds that is usually the result of some form of trauma to the toe. Generally the bird can walk on the pad of the foot but the toe projects to one side at the joint. This condition can usually be treated with good success by surgical manipulation. If diagnosed early, and if the break can be treated and cast so that the bird can walk, correction is usually successful.
Early treatment is essential for success.
This problem involves the twisting of the entire bone resulting in the foot pointing outward. The appearance of this problem can often be quite rapid with notable rotation occurring within a few days. Although there are not good studies to document the actual cause of all cases, based on similar problems in other animals, it appears that the primary causes are related to nutrition, exercise, and growth rate. There does not appear to be any good treatments available at this time. Surgical intervention has not proven useful and other efforts are equally unsuccessful.