Brahma's Feet

[NancyinAlaska]

I have a light brahma rooster that has problems with his feathered feet. They are constantly bleeding, feathers breaking off close to the foot. I pluck the feathers and when they are broken off really close to the foot, I squeeze the base of the quill out then pull. I treat with antibiotic ointments. I wish I could post a pic, I don't know how. His feet also look dry crusty and swollen, all of the time since I got him, he was full grown then. I have never seen him on a roost, he sleeps guarding the entrance to the coop, and he guards it well, sometimes attacking me if I upset one of his girls

. His feet look different than my other's, even my brahma hens.

 

[Heidi]

Check out this site and see if his feet look similar to these pics. If so you might want to try what is suggested. Good luck. http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/Health/Dis/scaly.html

 

[NancyinAlaska]

Thanks, it is not scaley leg mites, and I know that for sure.

 

[Heidi]

PM Wynette here on byc - she's having a similar issue. I'm sure she can help you.

 

[onthespot]

A couple of my marans did that last year, not all of them, just a few and it did not seem to spread, just sorta here and then a few months later, there. To my knowledge it was not mites. It resolved itself and this year their legs look normal scales and good feathers without any treatment. I still do not know what the problem was. It was like they were really putting the HATE on the feathers growing out of their own feet! Did not respond to poultry dust, pour on ivermectin, internally administered ivermectin, vaseline on their legs a couple times a week for about four weeks. I also found myself pulling the stubs with a pair of pliers. They did NOT like that at all and it bled a little bit. They picked the holes the feathers came out of. They picked other birds for having bleeding toes. It wasn't a bloodbath or a massacre, just an annoying, ongoing small problem that seems to have resolved itself. If it starts back up again this summer I will go more high tech in finding out what the problem is. Sorry you are having trouble. It is just really frustrating, nagging feeling of failure when you do all you can and it doesn't help. Then you quit trying and it fixes itself... for now... Good luck, and keep us posted.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

i'm in the same boat and would love to see if there is anything 'to do'

onthespot - mine seemed to clear up for a bit but now is back in full force.

 

[NewHobbyForMe]

I have a brahma with feathers bleeding also. I made sure the quill was not broke off and still bleeding. I put some pressure on it and then covered it with vaseline and some vet wrap. He took it off in about a hour but it did stop bleeding and it looks great now. I think it is the cold weather, so I keep the vaseline in the coop for his feet. Sure doesn't hurt. My skin is so dry I put vaseline on me too! Here is his picture, he is only four or five months old.

 

[Andora]

My Marans had the same problem! Now neither of them have any feathers left on their feet, just a few bloody marks. They definitely don't have scaly leg mites, we've been through those in the past and I know what they look like. I finally gave up and decided they just didn't like the feathers on their feet or something.

There is a buff Brahma hen in the same coop as one of the Marans roosters and her feet are perfectly fine, no feather issues.