Brahma Feet Feathers

[CoalLucker]

so i'm thinking of getting some dark brahms to add to the flock but i was worried about the feathered feet. how hard are they to manage and keep clean?

 

[Teila]

Howdy CoalLucker

I have 3 x Pekins [bantam Cochins] and 1 x bantam Langshan with feathered feet and they sure can get muddy and dirty when it rains; it does not help that they love digging in the wet dirt.

Anyhow, my gals are just pets and I do not breed or show. I do not bath them either; unless necessary for some reason.

Their feet feathers pretty much take care of themselves and are not usually dirty.

It might depend on the climate [snow?] but I do not treat the feathered feet any different to the non feathered.

I do have one hen who has broken a couple of foot feathers but besides a small amount of bleeding, no dramas.

I think it would only be an issue if you were thinking of showing them.

 

[aart]

I've had light brahmas, love their looks tho they were lousy layers.
Had a dark brahma mix, and some cochin mixes too.
The feathered feet can be a problem, poop and/or poopcicles stuck to those feet feathers.
Definitely worse during winter with the snow.
Can also make it hard to see and/or treat leg problems like scaly leg mites.
Good leg and feet feathers condition could be helped by where they walk...
....type of bedding/ground cover in coop, run, range.

Decided in the long run I only want clean legged birds,
but I have birds for food and am not really interested in the ornamental breeds.

 

[azygous]

I adore my feather-footed fleet. But they seem to have a radar in their feet that steers the chicken toward any freshly deposited cecal poop. My sand filled coops and run usually keep most feet pretty clean, but the gooey cecal poop gets caked in the feathers between the toes and two or three times a month, I will give the fleet a foot bath to free their toes of the ghastly buildup. It's not a big deal, and just takes a couple minutes

My Cochins and Brahmas have been the most laid back and friendly breeds, and I have always thought their feathered feet extremely charming. They remind me of big fluffy bedroom slippers.

 

[aart]

I adore my feather-footed fleet. But they seem to have a radar in their feet that steers the chicken toward any freshly deposited cecal poop. My sand filled coops and run usually keep most feet pretty clean, but the gooey cecal poop gets caked in the feathers between the toes and two or three times a month, I will give the fleet a foot bath to free their toes of the ghastly buildup. It's not a big deal, and just takes a couple minutes

My Cochins and Brahmas have been the most laid back and friendly breeds, and I have always thought their feathered feet extremely charming. They remind me of big fluffy bedroom slippers.

Indeed!!

My light brahmas were always sweet hearts....why I sold them as pets....I do kinda miss them tho.