Feathered feet problems & pain

[Chold05]

Hello friends!
Here again for some feathered feet advice. My 3.5 year old Maran has always had issues with feathers on her feet. I’m fairly certain she bites them off herself because my other Maran doesn’t have half of the feather missing.

Anyway, I noticed she wasn’t her normal spunky self a few days ago. She hadn’t laid in a few days and when she did, it was late at night with a dark band around half of it. I assumed a soft shell would follow but she hasn’t laid since. (That was probably 3 days ago)

I noticed she’s very hesitant to scratch around, laying down and saw a little bit of blood on her foot. She’s eating and pooping normal as far as I can tell- just not her normal spunky self.

I gave her an epsom salt bath (for her foot and thinking she might be egg bound) sprayed the foot with wound cleaner then applied healahen on the bloody area to prevent pecking which is now covered in dirt. I also gave her a dose of meloxicam for pain but it doesn’t seem to have helped much.

there are several feathers that appear to be damaged so I’m afraid to pull these.

Thoughts?

 

[Debbie292d]

Hello friends!
Here again for some feathered feet advice. My 3.5 year old Maran has always had issues with feathers on her feet. I’m fairly certain she bites them off herself because my other Maran doesn’t have half of the feather missing.

Anyway, I noticed she wasn’t her normal spunky self a few days ago. She hadn’t laid in a few days and when she did, it was late at night with a dark band around half of it. I assumed a soft shell would follow but she hasn’t laid since. (That was probably 3 days ago)

I noticed she’s very hesitant to scratch around, laying down and saw a little bit of blood on her foot. She’s eating and pooping normal as far as I can tell- just not her normal spunky self.

I gave her an epsom salt bath (for her foot and thinking she might be egg bound) sprayed the foot with wound cleaner then applied healahen on the bloody area to prevent pecking which is now covered in dirt. I also gave her a dose of meloxicam for pain but it doesn’t seem to have helped much.

there are several feathers that appear to be damaged so I’m afraid to pull these.

Thoughts?

Hiya,

We raise silkies and had a hen get her foot caught in something that broke and damaged her feathers on one foot. They didn't look as bad as yours but I held her while hubby took a pliers and pulled the worst two that were bent inside her toe causing it to bleed. It still bled and we had some Kwik-stop for our dog and put that on her foot, then reg triple antibacterial cream, gauze, and vet wrap. She was fine in a couple of days. If they look painful, I'd pull those ones out but I don't know what to do if she's the one doing that to herself. I suppose you could try those peepers I know people use for bullies.

Maybe up her protein a little too for a week or two as that could be a remote reason she's picking her feathers, plus will help her regrow them.

 

[Chold05]

Thank you! They’ve all stopped bleeding on their own. I fed her scrambled eggs this morning for extra protein- she was very excited for that! Thanks for the idea to up her protein!

Then I soaked her legs In epsom salt first thing this morning for 20 mins, blow dried, then applied vetrecyn spray.

I put her inside a large dog crate in the run so that the other girls don’t peck her feet while I’m at work today (in case they’re contributing to the problem)



The pin feathers/blood feathers on their feet just look so painful! I feel bad for them.

 

[Chold05]

Hiya,

We raise silkies and had a hen get her foot caught in something that broke and damaged her feathers on one foot. They didn't look as bad as yours but I held her while hubby took a pliers and pulled the worst two that were bent inside her toe causing it to bleed. It still bled and we had some Kwik-stop for our dog and put that on her foot, then reg triple antibacterial cream, gauze, and vet wrap. She was fine in a couple of days. If they look painful, I'd pull those ones out but I don't know what to do if she's the one doing that to herself. I suppose you could try those peepers I know people use for bullies.

Maybe up her protein a little too for a week or two as that could be a remote reason she's picking her feathers, plus will help her regrow them.

Was thinking more about this… did your bantams behavior change at all post injury?

Today she didn’t have much interest in free ranging. Her crop was empty at dusk but she ate some scrambled eggs, mealworms and blueberries.

She just seems pretty off for some foot feather problems. I’m wondering if there’s more going on.

 

[Debbie292d]

Was thinking more about this… did your bantams behavior change at all post injury?

Today she didn’t have much interest in free ranging. Her crop was empty at dusk but she ate some scrambled eggs, mealworms and blueberries.

She just seems pretty off for some foot feather problems. I’m wondering if there’s more going on.

No, ours is the boss hen, and she didn't lose a step, no pun.

As painful as her feet look it might be part of why she's not wanting to free range, and you said she seemed hesitant to scratch around. Maybe a few days of isolation from the others and getting these extra protein treats will help her heal up.

Greek yogurt is another healthy treat too and has probiotics, calcium, protein and other good stuff. Get the sugarless and mix your blueberries in it for both you and her.

 

[Chold05]

Update: Upon further investigation, I believe one of my older hens is the culprit. She's pecking the pin feathers on her feet and I witnessed her eating a pin feather from her bottom! It looks like she may have eaten about 4 from her bottom. I haven't witnessed this behavior toward anyone else, including my other feathered feet girls. And it doesn't appear to be malicious as there's no attacking, outward bullying, etc.

I've had my molting hen in a dog crate within the run for the last 2 weeks. Sometimes I will alternate and put the bully in there after she lays. It;s just easier to keep my molting hen in there when Im away for work.

I've been reading that an increase in protein might help solve the problem. I'm currently feeding Country Roads Layer Crumbles 16% protein. Thinking about mixing Chick Starter in with their normal feed to boost the protein. (Although, I'm not optimistic this will work. Everyone had been on chick crumbles from June-September-ish because we got chicks and combined the 2 flocks. So I would have thought she was getting enough protein leading up to this.)

I also have pinless peepers that I'm probably going to try.

 

[Sally PB]

Country Roads Layer Crumbles 16% protein.

Try switching to an All Flock or Flock Raiser type of feed with 20% protein. Layer feed is low in protein because that is the most expensive nutrient. The commercial chicken industry has figured out the LEAST amount of protein that they can get by with to keep hens laying. At their scale, fractions of percentages or pennies matter.

 

[Chold05]

Try switching to an All Flock or Flock Raiser type of feed with 20% protein. Layer feed is low in protein because that is the most expensive nutrient. The commercial chicken industry has figured out the LEAST amount of protein that they can get by with to keep hens laying. At their scale, fractions of percentages or pennies matter.

That makes a lot of sense!

The All Flock in the brand I use only had 18% so I ended up going with Chick Grower which has 20%. I plan to mix them about half and half. I always offer free choice oyster and egg shells, so that should cover the issue of the chick food having less calcium. I was afraid to transition to a new brand during molt, but I think I should make the swap in the future.

Do you think this is a sound plan?


I found this feather totally eaten yesterday! You can also see the culprit (brown chicken) checking out her target's feet (black chicken) in the photo.


Hopefully the extra protein works!