Black scab/growth on roaster’s foot

[JohnnyBird]

Hi everyone, my 4 year old rooster, Henry, has large swollen finger and black scab on both feet. (Pictures below)

Chicken background: Henry is a full-bodied rooster living in an outdoor coop alongside a dozen hens. The hens all seem fine and aren’t exhibiting any similar conditions.

Condition: We noticed redness and very slightly raised scales roughly two months ago and thought he might be getting leg mites. Fast forward a few weeks later and suddenly his finger is swollen and there is a large black scab. We thought it was dirt and mud because we had gotten some rain but we washed and cleaned his foot and it some of it seems like skin. We initially thought it was bumblefoot because of the swollen areas but are now thinking it’s something else because of all the black skin/tissue. There is also some redness along his leg as seen in the photos below.

He’s still quite active, eating and interacting with hens. While holding and washing him we noticed he’s wheezing a bit but we don’t think that’s related. We are willing to do some surgery if needed. I would really appreciate any and all help! We’re currently keeping him isolated and doing epsom salt baths to clean it out as much as we can. Aside from the condition of his feet he seems quite healthy so we’d like to try to save his life. Please let me know if any more pictures or info would help!

 

[Eggcessive]

It is bumblefoot (foot pad dermatitis,) from a small cut where bacteria enter, and cause infection. Being in damp soiled bedding or muddy conditions will cause it to worse. I would start treating by soaking his feet in warm water, adding either Epsom salts, or a disinfectant such as Betadine or Hibiclens and Dawn, for 15 minutes daily. When scabs are softened, you can try to remove them and squeeze out any hardened pus kernels. Then apply a dressing of antibiotic ointment, gauze, and vet wrap. But since a dressing on the toes is impractical, I would try to keep him on clean towels or puppy pads. This article will help with more information:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/bumblefoot-causes-treatment-warning/

 

[JohnnyBird]

Thank you so much. We were largely able to remove the scabs on the foot pads but weren’t able to completely remove all hardened pus kernels on one foot so we will try again tomorrow. We started treatment on the toes but one of them is in really bad condition as seen in attached images (I apologize for the graphic photo). It’s hard to even tell if it’s bone or tissue. How much can we cut around this? Is it practical to remove it on our own? How much can we salvage? Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[coach723]

I would soak the foot well in warm epsom salts, or a dilute betadine solution, to soften it up as much as possible. 20 minutes at least. Then use a soft toothbrush, or piece of moistened gauze to gently remove as much of what is softened as you can. You may need to do repeated soaks and debridement to get it down to where you can really tell what's what. After each I would apply antibiotic ointment and wrap until you do again. The goal is to remove as much of the gunk and dead tissue as possible while doing the least damage to healthy tissue as possible. There isn't much meat on toes, so I would be gentle as you can while working to remove the bad stuff.