***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[Kassaundra]

so sorry to hear! wonder what icy hot would do?

No icy would be good, but any itchy spot you add heat to is MISERABLE!!!!! Intense itching!!!!

 

[TRUE5]

Hey all! Looks like everyone is dealing with flies, chiggers and this rain as much as I am. Only we have fleas to top it off. We have one house cat and with all this moisture we have fleas popping. I am a vacuuming fool lately! Darn things love to bite me.

This a.m. we had a FOX! First time I have ever seen one this close to the house! The chickens were still kept in the coops so I think it was after some of the wild rabbits we have in our honeysuckle bush. Our neighbor said he shot one yesterday that ate one of his hens. Our chicken yard isn't fox proof and that makes me nervous but the coops are pretty impossible for them to get into... unless it learns to eat through chicken wire.

POOPS is coming up! I'm going to TRY to make it. Its not super far from Claremore, but it's still a bit of a drive. We'll see! So good to read everyone's posts and I'm going to try to "drop" in more often. I have just been so busy lately that I haven't been on the computer except facebook for a few min at night.

 

[ashtree]

Ths is what was recommended by nnbreeder for bumble, it may be worth a try-

Here is about the best info that I have come up with on bumblefoot.

Try the iodine/sugar poultice first, wrapping with the coflex bandage to keep it clean.
Change it daily.
The bacteria doing the dirty work is most often a staphlylococcus bacteria and I've found that Penicillin G procaine (white penicillin) given at a dose of 30 000 I.U., twice a day (once a day in less severe infections) is good at treating bumblefoot.
If there is no change in the swelling after 3 days, then you may have to open the wound up. If you have to, you must wrap it every day until it is more or less healed, or more staph bacteria will get in there and start the whole cycle back up.
This is why I avoid it if possible.
There probably won't be any liquid pus in the foot, but a cheesy pus that works its way into the tendons and ligaments in the foot- be prepared to get as much out as you can, but don't risk damaging the foot.
Flush it out with sterile saline (under pressure- put the saline into a syringe and flush with quite a bit of force). I avoid hydrogen peroxide in open wounds as it stings and can do tissue damage (if used too often... It has it's place, though).
You can flush the wound with a tea colored solution of betadine and water- mostly water with just enough betadine to make the solution the color of strong tea.
Flush this in first (again, in the syringe) then flush it all out again with the saline.
Hopefully the wound comes around with just the Pen G procaine and the iodine/sugar poultice.

OK, thank you for the info. I hadn't thought about the hydrogen peroxide being a bad idea and have been using it every time I clean. Ive been doing the saline wash so Ill skip the hydrogen peroxide from here on out. The sugar idea confuses me tho, doesn't bacteria thrive in sugar? I have iodine on hand so Ill try that next cleaning, which Im currently doing twice a day.

100% NOT an emergency. If you look at 20 outdoor birds feet you'll probably see 15 bumblefoot in various stages of healing on their own. That's probably an exaggeration but you get the gist. An emergency is....their crop ripped open by a predator, their back skinned to the bone by a rooster...that sort of stuff. There's seldom anything you can do for an emergency short of triple antibiotic and separating them. Which is what you do for a non-emergency also So keep doing what you're doing, wrap it and let it heal. It's not life threatening even if it *is bumblefoot. Look at all the chicken owners on this board alone, does anyone even *know of a bird that died of bumblefoot? Or even lost their foot?
Save your energy, there's bigger things to come

PS And now you've gotten answers at both ends of the extreme

You seriously had me cracking up at the saving my energy bit!

And Im glad to hear its less of a death threat then Ive been reading, and I will admit Ive heard of no one actually losing a chicken to it. For now I will keep doing what Im doing with some minor tweaks thanks to artsyrobin!

Thanks for all the great advice. I feel more confident now, which helps a lot. If I don't see improvement soon I may take her to the vet, but Im really hoping to manage this at home, not just to save money but because I want to be able to take care of my chicken issues as they arise. Peaches (the sizzle) is my absolute favorite girl. So sweet and friendly. I feel like the rest of my chickens ignore me and a few even run! Breaks my chicken loving heart.

 

[artsyrobin]

Quote: the infection is drawn to the surface by the sugar, the betadine kills the infection..

 

[Kassaundra]

OK, thank you for the info. I hadn't thought about the hydrogen peroxide being a bad idea and have been using it every time I clean. Ive been doing the saline wash so Ill skip the hydrogen peroxide from here on out. The sugar idea confuses me tho, doesn't bacteria thrive in sugar? I have iodine on hand so Ill try that next cleaning, which Im currently doing twice a day.

You seriously had me cracking up at the saving my energy bit!

And Im glad to hear its less of a death threat then Ive been reading, and I will admit Ive heard of no one actually losing a chicken to it. For now I will keep doing what Im doing with some minor tweaks thanks to artsyrobin!

Thanks for all the great advice. I feel more confident now, which helps a lot. If I don't see improvement soon I may take her to the vet, but Im really hoping to manage this at home, not just to save money but because I want to be able to take care of my chicken issues as they arise. Peaches (the sizzle) is my absolute favorite girl. So sweet and friendly. I feel like the rest of my chickens ignore me and a few even run! Breaks my chicken loving heart.

Are laying yet? I find that post chick / pre lay chickens are less people oriented, they become friendlier after they start laying.

 

[ashtree]

Are laying yet?  I find that post chick / pre lay chickens are less people oriented, they become friendlier after they start laying.

They aren't. There's hope afterall! Honestly I thought my attempts to vent sex them when younger traumatized them! LOL
Hopefully they'll come around after laying.

 

[huntseat]

Quote:
Ask for some viscous lidocaine...a great topical analgesic. You will never know you have the chigger bites. I come from chigger country, any doctor/ NP / PA can call it in to the pharmacy for you. Ask for a big bottle and keep it around. Just thinking about your bites makes me itchy. Hope you get some ASAP!

 

[Kassaundra]

Made one more today, guess I've run out of excuses not to clean house.

 

[Loriemarler]

Made one more today, guess I've run out of excuses not to clean house.

Very nice!!! You did a great job

 

[Kassaundra]

Very nice!!! You did a great job

Thanks, Gary seldom wears a store bought tie, one has to really catch my eye.