Curled toenails and scaly toes

[Midlandchick]

I need help. My 9 month old barred Rock hen has started limping and her toes and toenails are curled. I don’t know how to help. No vets around here see chickens.
I have added vitamin b2 to their water. She eats Dumor layer feed with access to grit and oyster shell. I clean out their coop daily of any droppings. They have a thick layers of wood chips in the run.
I don’t know how to get antibiotics for her if that’s what she needs. I can’t get it without a vets prescription.

 

[azygous]

Trimming the nails is the only thing you can do, in my experience with this issue. The deformity usually begins early on but is so mild, it's not noticed until it becomes like your hen's feet. By then nothing can be done.

I have a few older hens with this issue. I try to keep the nails trimmed as it's a little easier for the chicken to walk with shorter nails. Care must be taken not to trim the nail too deep into the quick.

The nails could be removed, but it would be extremely painful. A good avian vet could advise you.

 

[Midlandchick]

Trimming the nails is the only thing you can do, in my experience with this issue. The deformity usually begins early on but is so mild, it's not noticed until it becomes like your hen's feet. By then nothing can be done.

I have a few older hens with this issue. I try to keep the nails trimmed as it's a little easier for the chicken to walk with shorter nails. Care must be taken not to trim the nail too deep into the quick.

The nails could be removed, but it would be extremely painful. A good avian vet could advise you.

Trimming the nails is the only thing you can do, in my experience with this issue. The deformity usually begins early on but is so mild, it's not noticed until it becomes like your hen's feet. By then nothing can be done.

I have a few older hens with this issue. I try to keep the nails trimmed as it's a little easier for the chicken to walk with shorter nails. Care must be taken not to trim the nail too deep into the quick.

The nails could be removed, but it would be extremely painful. A good avian vet could advise you.

Thank you for your advise! I appreciate it. In your opinion it’s not something I need to separate her from the rest of the flock for is it?

 

[KaseySnow]

We have some older hens with curled toenails like this. Our vet told us it happens when there is damage done to the nail on one side that causes that part or side to stop growing. She explained that the nail grows out from the nail bed like a tube. If one part of that tube gets damaged at the bed level, it will sometimes stop that part of the nail from growing while the rest of the tube continues to grow. So in essence, the whole nail will curve as the healthy part grows in the direction of the side that is damaged and not growing or growing more slowly. We have one hen with a nail growing straight up in the air because of this!

Like azygous said, the best thing you can do is to try and keep the nail trimmed as short as possible without going into the quick. Supposedly the quick will recede after a trimming if you stop just before hitting it, meaning you can potentially get the injured nail shorter and shorter over time.

If I were you, I would get a strong light behind the nail so you can locate the quick, and trim the nail right up to the quick leaving a millimeter or two between where you stop trimming and where the quick begins. Then go back in two weeks and shine the light again to see if the quick has receded so you can trim a little more. Keep doing this until you get the nail to the length where she isn't walking funny because of it. You'll have to continue to do this once a month or so though if she doesn't keep it scratched down.

 

[azygous]

@KaseylSnow I never knew that! Great info. It's been my experience that these nails often get knocked loose and may fall off eventually. Don't be freaked out if that happens. It's painful as a hangnail is to us. If you see one hanging and bleeding, and the chicken will be limping and you will notice that and /or the blood, just snip it the rest of the way off. The toe will heal over in a day.

 

[Midlandchick]

We have some older hens with curled toenails like this. Our vet told us it happens when there is damage done to the nail on one side that causes that part or side to stop growing. She explained that the nail grows out from the nail bed like a tube. If one part of that tube gets damaged at the bed level, it will sometimes stop that part of the nail from growing while the rest of the tube continues to grow. So in essence, the whole nail will curve as the healthy part grows in the direction of the side that is damaged and not growing or growing more slowly. We have one hen with a nail growing straight up in the air because of this!

Like azygous said, the best thing you can do is to try and keep the nail trimmed as short as possible without going into the quick. Supposedly the quick will recede after a trimming if you stop just before hitting it, meaning you can potentially get the injured nail shorter and shorter over time.

If I were you, I would get a strong light behind the nail so you can locate the quick, and trim the nail right up to the quick leaving a millimeter or two between where you stop trimming and where the quick begins. Then go back in two weeks and shine the light again to see if the quick has receded so you can trim a little more. Keep doing this until you get the nail to the length where she isn't walking funny because of it. You'll have to continue to do this once a month or so though if she doesn't keep it scratched down.

Thank you for the help!! I have been so worried. I will definitely try to trim them! She’s such a sweet hen I don’t want her to suffer!