Arizona Chickens

[rufus]

Well, that right foot looks like it has a problem; probably bumblefoot. When they have a problem with a foot like that, they just use the other one to scratch around. That makes the nails grow unevenly, or rather one foot's nails don't get worn down. You can treat her with antibiotics and do the surgery, but they are never really the same. Sadly, it might just be best to have a Sunday dinner of her.

I think around here, goat head thorns are probably the primary cause of these infections. If you see any of these sticker plants, pull them out right away. Those darn goat heads just lay in the soil waiting for a victim.

 

[Fuzzybird]

Is anyone using heat lamps in their coops at night yet? I have mine ready to go but wasn't thinking that they really needed it yet with all the warm temps we have been having. Should I turn it on and if they are too warm they will just move away from it? Just curious as to what everyone else in the valley was doing at this time.
Thanks,
Allan

Why would anyone use heat lamps in the coops unless over chicks of course? I would think that it would make for weak hens. People in the snow countries don't bother about warming the coops just make sure the hens have a place out of the drafts.

 

[AZKat]

I've never heard of anyone in Arizona needing to use heat in the winter. If you live where it snows, you might have to worry about frostbite on a comb, but other than that, it just doesn't get cold enough here. I do use supplemental light as it gets darker, to keep laying up, but that is adding a little light in the morning, not heat.

 

[Phottoman]

I've never heard of anyone in Arizona needing to use heat in the winter. If you live where it snows, you might have to worry about frostbite on a comb, but other than that, it just doesn't get cold enough here. I do use supplemental light as it gets darker, to keep laying up, but that is adding a little light in the morning, not heat.

I have to go along with that idea. My system is a solar panel and a battery for each coop, plus a small timer and 12v light that doesn't give off much heat. My timer comes on at 5:00 in the morning and goes off at 6:30, I'll have to change that soon, looking out right now it is still dark at 6:25 AM. And then it comes on at 5:30 PM and stays on until 10:00.

 

[Phottoman]

Right foot may have bumble foot.... but I don't see a scab.

I didn't see an entry wound, nor a scab, that's why I started soaking her foot in the first place

Gee, Skip, I dunno - but I DID find a vet here in Phoenix (a ways from you I know) who actually knows a thing or two about chickens and was able to do successful surgery on one of my girls with prolapsed vent. Maybe if you call they can refer you or have you email the pics and try to help you long distance. The name of the clinic is Union Hills Animal Hospital and the vets are Susan Goshert and Sharon Poolard; I think it was Dr. Pollard that saw to my girl. The number is 602-863-6629 and they were very understanding, reasonable $-wise and kind. Even after my hen laid an egg in their waiting room.

Good Luck!!

I'll call them today, thank you.

I could be wrong, as I'm very new to this, but it looks and sounds a lot like the scale mites that BeeKissed was dealing with after she got her mistreated coop back. You can read her Story of the Knarly Bunch on her blog. Chapter 8 has a great picture of the swollen feet infected with scale mites. Also, she mentioned that there is a small gland on top of their feets. It was severely clogged and I believe infected, adding to the severity of the swelling.

I believe she had given this particular one a good, warm bath with soap and used a Q-Tip to clean out the gland. Afterwards, she applied a liberal coating of Nu-Stock and it began healing nicely. Nu-Stock is available for sure on Amazon.Com and at The Stock Shop here in Glendale, Arizona. From my understanding, it is very popular and should be available at nearly every feed store. It was $17.99 here, as I just bought a bottle two weeks ago.

Keep us updated.

I've been following that blog, and if you have too, you'll see several places where I added to their blog with questions. If you thought scale mites from this picture I posted, you are WAY off, her legs are a perfect color, and no other symptoms, just this large gnarly 'bump' on her foot.

She has been favoring that right foot for some time. The nails on her right foot are way overgrown compared with the nails on the other foot. You could try trimming them. If you do, be careful not to cut into the blood supply. Just trim the ends back a bit. Better to do a little trimming in multiple stages than to cut too much off at once. Trimming her toenails won't fix the underlying problem, whatever that may be, but it may help her regain some use of that foot.

Can't really tell what's on the bottom of her foot. Looks like crusted dirt to me. What did her foot look like AFTER soaking?

The practical part of me says "cull her and enjoy the dinner" but she is probably a pet. Good luck!

Sarah

She IS a pet (at this point) but I would have no problem culling her, if it ever came to that. She is running again, something she does easily when I get near, but as I mentioned, she runs a lot, even with that limp. I have had birds in my life for many many years, from canaries to African Grays, and yeah, I know how to trim nails. When I had her in my arms and looked closely, it didn't really seem that they were too long, or longer than her left foot. That's just the way they look in the picture.

Hey Skip, sorry about your bird's bum foot. Looks like bumblefoot to me; I'd definitely soak it some more. Magic Chicken had a good observation that she's been favoring that foot for a while, judging from the length of the nails. Also, while the picture of her head isn't the best, I don't think she's a RIR. The comb,beard and feather coloration say EE to me. That would explain the green eggs. I hope you can get her on the mend soon.

Ha HA, I guess that's as good an idea as any other, but she sure looks like an RIR to every one around here, but then again I did post some time ago that she and her sister give me green eggs. So the assumption was that she has some EE in her. These two were the very first (well, replacements for the VERY first) chickens we bought. I never took the time to learn to tell them apart, though there ARE differences, their names were, and are, Delicious, and Delectable.

As mentioned, bumblefoot was my first thought, but I see no entrance wound, or anyplace to start looking for a drain, and even though we have a LOT of goatheads around here, both Phottoette and I and the dog bring them in every time we step outside, I still didn't see any actual wound.

Thank you all for participating, It's nice to know there are so many of you willing to help.

Skip

 

[Phottoman]

Well, that right foot looks like it has a problem; probably bumblefoot. When they have a problem with a foot like that, they just use the other one to scratch around. That makes the nails grow unevenly, or rather one foot's nails don't get worn down. You can treat her with antibiotics and do the surgery, but they are never really the same. Sadly, it might just be best to have a Sunday dinner of her.

I think around here, goat head thorns are probably the primary cause of these infections. If you see any of these sticker plants, pull them out right away. Those darn goat heads just lay in the soil waiting for a victim.

Rufus, I didn't mean to slight your answer in any way, you remark was on a different page than the others that I answered, but I am tending to lean more toward your reply than some of the others ONLY BECAUSE we do have so many of the darn things, and there is no way I can get rid of them, they almost cover our entire two and a half acres. It has gotten almost to the point where we take our shoes off at the door and wear socks or slippers that have never been outside.

I might add, I forgot to mention this in the long answer I posted earlier, she DOES seem to have gotten a little better, she moves around with the rest of the flock, but I think I will bring her in again tonight, wash and soak her again and try to remember to take pictures AFTER the soak and before I let her go in the morning.

Skip

 

[Demosthine]

I've been following that blog, and if you have too, you'll see several places where I added to their blog with questions. If you thought scale mites from this picture I posted, you are WAY off, her legs are a perfect color, and no other symptoms, just this large gnarly 'bump' on her foot.

No, I didn't read the comment sections. If you're that sure it isn't scale mites, that's kind of a bummer. They sound like they are a lot easier to deal with than bumble foot. I would love to see a picture of her feet after they are cleaned off tonight. I think it looks worse than just a large gnarly 'bump' on her foot. Her toes look swollen. But maybe it's just the angle of the photo and the extra dirt. Either way, foot soaks can work some amazing miracles in amongst themselves, at least on the humans and dogs I've had to work with. I hate those goat head thorns. I have yet to hear a good reason for their existence, other than to torture us in to a miserable existence after a good, long weekend outside.

I'll be watching your posts with curiosity...

 

[rufus]

We treated a Rhode Island Red for about two years for bumblefoot. We did the surgery twice.

During a big wind storm, a totem pole cactus blew down. I let it lay until the guys came to take care of the lawn and trees. She walked on it, and I suspect that was the source of the bumblefoot.

We had her isolated in a separate coop and doctored her with antibiotics. She would get better, but relapse when we took her off of the antibiotic. She still layed, but we did not dare eat the eggs. We fed them to the feral cats. On a positive note, the cats' eye infections seemed to get better when they ate the eggs.

On the question of scale mites, just spray the hens' legs ever once in a while with WD40. Some people say that we should use vaseline instead because WD40 is a petroleum based product. But just where do they think vaseline comes from?

 

[SherrieT]

We treated a Rhode Island Red for about two years for bumblefoot. We did the surgery twice.

During a big wind storm, a totem pole cactus blew down. I let it lay until the guys came to take care of the lawn and trees. She walked on it, and I suspect that was the source of the bumblefoot.

We had her isolated in a separate coop and doctored her with antibiotics. She would get better, but relapse when we took her off of the antibiotic. She still layed, but we did not dare eat the eggs. We fed them to the feral cats. On a positive note, the cats' eye infections seemed to get better when they ate the eggs.

On the question of scale mites, just spray the hens' legs ever once in a while with WD40. Some people say that we should use vaseline instead because WD40 is a petroleum based product. But just where do they think vaseline comes from?

Guess they figure the name "Vaseline PETROLEUM Jelly" is just a brand

 

[Mahonri]

WD40 works like a charm. So does Pam cooking spray.