Both feet are injured on my Orpington

[AishlingS]

Hi.
I have a buff Orpington rooster. He is about 6 months old. A couple of weeks ago he started to walk funny. He would walk slowly, his toes (both feet) pointed out as if he can bend them. I cleaned them, treated for scaly leg (his scales looked fine but still treated it) trimmed his nails and hoped that would help. It didn’t. He is still not walking properly. He seems to be in pain. Tried cleaning again today. There now seems to be black/reddish dots on the bottoms of his feet, some around the toes. Some I could pull off and others I couldn’t. Some were hard to pull off (I soaked him in Epsom salts before I done this). Any idea what this is? I don’t think it’s bumble foot as there is so many spots/lumps and it’s on both feet. Also when I took the scabs off there was no wet puss coming out.. any help would be great

 

[CoopBoots]

So sorry your boy is unwell. Any pictures of the feet, by chance, before and/or after?

 

[AishlingS]

So sorry your boy is unwell. Any pictures of the feet, by chance, before and/or after?

I actually thought after I bandaged him up I should have taken photos. Il be taken bandages off in 2 days to clean and re bandage and il get photos then. It was basically like little scabs al on the sole of the right foot and then on the left it was maybe 2-3 small scabs and one bigger one

 

[CoopBoots]

Pictures will definitely help!

Does your cockerel free range, or is he confined to a yard/run? Does he get along with all the other chickens? What bedding do you use in the coop / nestboxes? Anyone else walking funny?

Total guess, but could there be an ant colony or similar nearby he has access to where there may have been a biting/stinging encounter while foraging? I'd look at the rest of the flock's feet and go hunting for any irritating plants or insects that might have moved in recently.

 

[Eggcessive]

What type of bedding or surface has he been walking on? Has it been muddy or damp in the coop and run? Is it rocky or rough? If you could take the bandages off in the am and get pictures, that would be helpful. Otherwise, we have not idea what it might be.

 

[AishlingS]

Pictures will definitely help!

Does your cockerel free range, or is he confined to a yard/run? Does he get along with all the other chickens? What bedding do you use in the coop / nestboxes? Anyone else walking funny?

Total guess, but could there be an ant colony or similar nearby he has access to where there may have been a biting/stinging encounter while foraging? I'd look at the rest of the flock's feet and go hunting for any irritating plants or insects that might have moved in recently.

Hello, sorry for the delay.
He is confinded/free ranging on a farm. He has shredded paper for bedding now. He is with 3 other Orpingtons and they all walk fine. He’s been like this a few weeks now. I’ve attached images now, I’ve taken some scabs away to see if there was puss and there was none

 

[AishlingS]

What type of bedding or surface has he been walking on? Has it been muddy or damp in the coop and run? Is it rocky or rough? If you could take the bandages off in the am and get pictures, that would be helpful. Otherwise, we have not idea what it might be.

Hi, I’ve just added photos. Surface isn’t too bad and I’ve 3 others that are with him and have no issues

 

[Eggcessive]

The feet have abrasions which lead to bumblefoot. I asked what type of bedding or soil he had been on before—what might have lead to this. Rough roost boards or posts, rocky ground and muddy or damp, soiled bedding is what leads to bumblefoot. I have always use pine shavings in my coop and sand in my run. Doing a daily warm Epsom salts soak to the feet would help to heal those feet and toes. Some people apply a paste of Betadine and sugar to the footpads and apply a dressing for 2-3 days, then repeat. Some use Prid drawing salve in the same way. Here is a video on applying the bumblefoot dressing:

The toes look affected as well, so they need to be worked on as well, to get them healing.

 

[AishlingS]

The feet have abrasions which lead to bumblefoot. I asked what type of bedding or soil he had been on before—what might have lead to this. Rough roost boards or posts, rocky ground and muddy or damp, soiled bedding is what leads to bumblefoot. I have always use pine shavings in my coop and sand in my run. Doing a daily warm Epsom salts soak to the feet would help to heal those feet and toes. Some people apply a paste of Betadine and sugar to the footpads and apply a dressing for 2-3 days, then repeat. Some use Prid drawing salve in the same way. Here is a video on applying the bumblefoot dressing:

The toes look affected as well, so they need to be worked on as well, to get them healing.

They have paper shavings as bedding, they are indoors and dry, except when they free range on the farm. Would bumble foot be all over the foot? I looked up bumble foot and i thought it was 1 black dot and then it was like a plug with infection underneath it??

 

[Eggcessive]

Footpad dermatitis can be on the footpads and toe pads. Is that dirt on the toe pads? That can happen when bedding is damp and full of droppings, or when standing in med. Poop can be very irritating to skin. Feel of your roosts to see if they are smooth or rough. Some put carpet or towels on roosts if they are rough. I have rocky soil, and my hens used to get some bumble foot due to that.