Bottoms of toes raw and bleeding - HELP!

[1chip2chicks3cheeks]

Hello all,

For the past two days my rooster, Joe, has had some peeling on the bottoms of his toes causing them to bleed. He seems to be in pain when we put him on the roost and won’t balance. His pads and scales look fine. For those who don’t know, Joe is blind, so he has his own pen he stays in most of the day to keep him safe. We usually take him outside the pen into the grass/dirt once or twice a day for awhile. The only two things I could think of that might cause this is the sandpaper stickers we put on the roosts so the chickens have better grip. We used those wooden closet rods with plastic coverings as roosts, which are slippery, hence the sandpaper. It’s been at least probably two years, though, they’ve roosted on them and never any problem. The other possibility I’m thinking might be from walking on hard ground all day. The current flooring we have is horse mats and he’s the only one whose on it all day, the other chickens go out in the run. But again, it’s been that way for probably two years. He is acting and looking fine otherwise. We have him sleeping indoors tonight in a little box with nesting pads so he can get off his feet.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

Take some Hydrogen Peroxide and clean the bottom of his feet immediately. (Be best if you have the spray. ) You can apply some ointment like Neosporin or Bag Balm on his feet, but that could get all over his bedding. Put him in a kennel with either shavings or newspaper for his flooring. (Shavings would be better at absorbing his waste.) Keep the bedding as clean as possible, and would be best if you clean his waste out several times a day, or as often as you see him go. Provide food and water for him too. Keep him in that setup until he's completely healed and clean his feet at least twice a day. You can clean his feet using a Saline rinse, Boil 1 quart of water for 10 minutes and add 2 teaspoons of salt, use once completely cooled. (You should use the Hydrogen Peroxide for the first cleaning, and use the Saline rinse for the rest of the cleanings. Pay close attention to keeping his feet clean because you don't want him getting bumble foot.)

As far as what caused it, anything could of happened. On the sandpaper on the perches, I suggest maybe using different perches? I prefer using branches or thin logs for perches. It gives the chickens the wild natural feel of their ancestors wild habitat.

 

[1chip2chicks3cheeks]

Take some Hydrogen Peroxide and clean the bottom of his feet immediately. (Be best if you have the spray. ) You can apply some ointment like Neosporin or Bag Balm on his feet, but that could get all over his bedding. Put him in a kennel with either shavings or newspaper for his flooring. (Shavings would be better at absorbing his waste.) Keep the bedding as clean as possible, and would be best if you clean his waste out several times a day, or as often as you see him go. Provide food and water for him too. Keep him in that setup until he's completely healed and clean his feet at least twice a day. You can clean his feet using a Saline rinse, Boil 1 quart of water for 10 minutes and add 2 teaspoons of salt, use once completely cooled. (You should use the Hydrogen Peroxide for the first cleaning, and use the Saline rinse for the rest of the cleanings. Pay close attention to keeping his feet clean because you don't want him getting bumble foot.)

As far as what caused it, anything could of happened. On the sandpaper on the perches, I suggest maybe using different perches? I prefer using branches or thin logs for perches. It gives the chickens the wild natural feel of their ancestors wild habitat.

Thank you! Very helpful info. We’ve already soaked his feet in epsom salt water and applied ointment. And yes, new perches are in order! This isn’t really their forever setup, just what was thrown together. A new coop is being planned.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

You got another rooster?

Photo of all of Joe would be good too

The only time I've ever seen and treated feet that looked like this is when my roosters have been fighting through fencing. The feet can be just shredded.

They already look to be healing, so the skin is going to be quite leathery feeling. Dead skin like shown hanging in the photos, I trim away. Anything that looks "live" leave be for the time being.
Swab the scabs with Chlorhexidine. Pat dryish. Apply a thin! layer of triple antibiotic ointment to just the scabs. Back toes are already scabbed and healing, but I'd apply a bit of ointment there too. Wrap the feet, you can use a tiny bit of non stick gauze pad on the bottom of the toes to give a bit of a cushion. Check the feet daily! It's good to keep the tissue a bit moist with the ointment, but if it starts to look wrinkly like tissue that's being kept too wet, then just wipe with Chlorhexidine, let that dry and rewrap.

Sandpaper isn't probably the best surface, but if you've been using it for 2yrs with no issues, then I'm not sure if I would change it.

 

[1chip2chicks3cheeks]

You got another rooster?

Photo of all of Joe would be good too

The only time I've ever seen and treated feet that looked like this is when my roosters have been fighting through fencing. The feet can be just shredded.

They already look to be healing, so the skin is going to be quite leathery feeling. Dead skin like shown hanging in the photos, I trim away. Anything that looks "live" leave be for the time being.
Swab the scabs with Chlorhexidine. Pat dryish. Apply a thin! layer of triple antibiotic ointment to just the scabs. Back toes are already scabbed and healing, but I'd apply a bit of ointment there too. Wrap the feet, you can use a tiny bit of non stick gauze pad on the bottom of the toes to give a bit of a cushion. Check the feet daily! It's good to keep the tissue a bit moist with the ointment, but if it starts to look wrinkly like tissue that's being kept too wet, then just wipe with Chlorhexidine, let that dry and rewrap.

Sandpaper isn't probably the best surface, but if you've been using it for 2yrs with no issues, then I'm not sure if I would change it.

No new roosters, this is the same ol’ Joe boy. Or unless you mean other roosters, yes we have plenty! All very good boys until they fight.

I didn’t really think of it but Joe and another one of our roosters, Sunny/Clifford, had been fighting through the fence the other day. We put a layer of netting over that part of the fence since it didn’t have any. But this evening his feet had more fresh looking blood on them than this morning so I started to worry maybe it was more serious than just an injury, maybe some disease/parasites. Maybe his wounds just got opened back up from walking around today.

The sandpaper was never very rough to begin with and definitely pretty smooth by now, but thought I’d mention it.

He seems pretty content right now! Clucking happily and listening to classical music on his nesting pad. He’s going to be quite the refined little man when he gets back with his friends, show them what a true gentleman is like! Maybe I’ll get Joe a custom tailored tuxedo.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

No new roosters, this is the same ol’ Joe boy. Or unless you mean other roosters, yes we have plenty! All very good boys until they fight.

I didn’t really think of it but Joe and another one of our roosters, Sunny/Clifford, had been fighting through the fence the other day. We put a layer of netting over that part of the fence since it didn’t have any. But this evening his feet had more fresh looking blood on them than this morning so I started to worry maybe it was more serious than just an injury, maybe some disease/parasites. Maybe his wounds just got opened back up from walking around today.

The sandpaper was never very rough to begin with and definitely pretty smooth by now, but thought I’d mention it.

He seems pretty content right now! Clucking happily and listening to classical music on his nesting pad. He’s going to be quite the refined little man when he gets back with his friends, show them what a true gentleman is like! Maybe I’ll get Joe a custom tailored tuxedo.

There's your answer to how he got the feet injury.
You may need to block them from being able to access one another through the fence. Just the way it is. They'll shred their feet, then it takes weeks of tending the feet to get them healed, then they do it again...

LOL They do like attention, he'll be spoiled in no time. The feet will heal ok, just keep check on them daily. Sometimes I've found that just a quick swab of chlorhexidine daily works well, then just wrap again to help keep out dirt.