# 3 toes forward, 1 toe back



## NuttyNu (Aug 20, 2009)

i have a youngster (about 4-5 weeks old), Lutino (i think) calles Whitie, (siblings called schvatz and luti!)who has three toes forward and one toe back on one foot. Luti has now fledged and i noticed this when she was walking on my hand. she has not yet got any rings on her so this is not the cause. Schvatz and Luti are fine and have not got this.

Why has this happened and what can be done for this?


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## Kai (Jan 28, 2008)

My Charlie has had 3 toes forward and one back since the day I got him. He is over 2 years old now and it is still there. I know Charlie had slightly splayed legs when I got him but I don't know if this is the cause of the toe thing. It did make Charlie a bit more clumsy when I first got him but now you wouldn't even notice it. I'm not sure if this is a major issue or not. It never really affected Charlie so I never really worried about it.


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## atvchick95 (Sep 17, 2007)

its a birth defect - or at least thats all i can figure 

my lovebird Roxy who i've had since she was 2 weeks old came to me with a back to facing forward - when she perches the nail points upwards towards the ceiling or off to the side depending on what she's standing on 

it has never bothered her and as of yet its not been carried on to any of her babies


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Can you post a pix? 

Could it have gotten broken when it was little? 


I have had crossed toes as a result of breaks.


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

When Spike was younger he use to put the one back toe in front. I asked his breeder and he said he still needs to work on how to properly perch. So I gently pushed it to where it should be each time. Now that Spike is older he has there toes where they should be  This could just be one reason why they do this, Iam sure there are a ton of other reasons why they do this aswell.


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## atvchick95 (Sep 17, 2007)

xxxSpikexxx said:


> When Spike was younger he use to put the one back toe in front. I asked his breeder and he said he still needs to work on how to properly perch. So I gently pushed it to where it should be each time. Now that Spike is older he has there toes where they should be  This could just be one reason why they do this, Iam sure there are a ton of other reasons why they do this aswell.


thats what I thought was Roxy's problem because I didn't notice it until she got older and started perching - and I kept putting it where it was supposed to go and it wouldn't stay it kept "flinging" back where it was. But I kept at it for almost a month several times a day I'd even hold it in place (well for as long as she'd let me) 

then one day while going through my pictures Of when I got her ( i got her at 2 weeks old) i noticed in a couple with her just sitting in the brooder It was like that way before she ever started perching 

So thats when I started thinking her cause must of been a birth defect 

like how humans can get "pigeon toes" , club foot (i consider Splayed leg the equivalent to humans club foot) granted it may not be technically but when explaining it to some one who has no clue - they understand it that way


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## NuttyNu (Aug 20, 2009)

I spoke to one of the vets who i work with today and they said that it could be a thing it was born with and only time will tell as to how she copes. I could not take her in as she is still about 4-5 weeks old and within a week should be fledged. and therefore she will still be dependant on the parents so i could not take her for a few hours as i did not want them to reject her when i put here back or anything. 

I have attached a coupole of pictures but they are not very good as it was only taken with a camera phone as i dont normally take a big camera down with me! one picture is of Whitie - the chick in question and the other is the best i can do for her feet at the moment - i will try again tomorrow or Monday.


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## NuttyNu (Aug 20, 2009)

ok, have now given up!!! after many days of trying, photgraphing feet is not all that easy! And i cannto get a better pic! but i also have another problem wiht her....
sher cannot fly very well. she has fledged for a few days now and i keep having to put her back in the nest every night and she comes out every morning! She has managed to gaion about a foot in height onto the bars but that is all. She has not managed to climb p the bars yet either. I am a little worried... Should i Be?? Will the flight come with time?


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## atvchick95 (Sep 17, 2007)

if the pics are current - she isn't fully feathered yet She's just coming out of the nest to explore They usually start flying when they are fully feathered 

as for the toe it looks like my lovebird Roxy's and she lives just fine doesn't stop her from perching or anything else, and I've got a couple babies (not hers) with a back toe facing forwards and they're just fine as well


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## NuttyNu (Aug 20, 2009)

the post was about a week ish ago. She is feathered enough and should be able to fly but does not seem to fly very well. She is good if she is at the same height or decreasing in hight but not at gaining. Today she managed to get about 3 ft up onto the bars but then when she flew off again, she decreased the hight. I feel this as an achievement for her but is seems to be small heights. She has also not yet fathomed out climbing the bars, she just stays on the floor. even when she flys onto the bars she does not climb them but flies off. 

Also, another thing i have noticed with her is that she tends to fly to the bars and then suddenyl pull up whewn she gets there as if she has not seen them. I have not noticed this in my other chicks but then they have all generally flied well. I only noticed it in my lovebird when he was still around when he got old he was about 90% blind. Is this likely to be the case with her being partially blind or is it just youth and her not really knowing much?

i am still putting her back in the box at night but letting ehr about the aviary in the good weather to try to fly better. She has not managed to perch yet but has not gained enough height to get to most of the perches, just the bars so cannto really tell how wel she will do at this?

Am i just being over worrying or is this likely to be chick with many problems? I have never had a chick with so many things go like this and am panicing that she will not cope as i am unable to cage her indoors due to the cats and other parrots which i own and the unlikely ness to be able to let her back in the avairy again due to the different environments of being outside and inside. 

Please help ease my mind!

Thanks


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## Rocky's Rose (Jun 24, 2008)

One of the chicks I had in April had a foot like that. She was a stunted chick though but I don't think that caused it. She also had a hard time perching once she came out and would only perch on the thick rope perch i had in the cage. She could fly well either and whenever she would try she would go downwards. Her brother though was amazing at flying. I don't know why this was but I just wanted to let you know that you arn't the only one that had this problem so it must be some kind of birth difect. ( The mother of the chick was lutino so maybe it has something to do with that mutation??)


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