[Farmer Reese]

Can anyone tell me what is on my baby chick's toes. 3 of 5 toes only on one foot, leg and foot look fine, just the toes. She can walk and grip fine with it. Is it a deformity or disease?

 

[robin416]

A genetic birth defect. Do both parents have the correct number of toes?

 

[imnukensc]

Those toes look necrotic (diseased/rotten) to me.

 

[robin416]

She's got mixed breed birds. I think those feet are supposed to have the dark.

@Farmer Reese Could you do a pic that isn't quite that close?

 

[imnukensc]

Appears to me there are partially missing toes/toenails and some sort of nastiness (for lack of a better term) growing on what is there. I don't think the dark scales on the top of the toes is a problem.

 

[robin416]

It's a birth defect on the toes. There's a five toed parent involved or maybe both parents. It's not uncommon for hatchery birds that are supposed to be five toed have those types of defects. Missing toes. Missing nails.

I'm thinking that's either mud or poop on the end of the nail. FR lives in CA where they're getting all that rain.