Bumble foot on all hens?

[azimiut]

Last year we had a hen that died from an infection from bumble foot. We did what we could. Even removed the kernel. She did not make it. The infection had spread tothe rest of her body. This year we had lost 2 more hens. Feel that it was simply due to excessive heat. We tried everything we could. They have 2 fans a swamp cooler and a large pan we kept ice in. It was 117 that day. I know it was hot I work outside.

On to the question. We have 6 hens now. I watch their health very close. In the last 2 weeks it appears that 4 out of 6 have what looks like bumble foot. The pads are slightly enlarged and they have the tell tale sign of the little black/brown spot. My wife and I do not want to go through chicken surgery again. The first hen we noticed that had it we gave penicillin shots to and made a difference. Nothing has changed in the coop for some time. Do they all need penicillin? Is there an oral vs injection? Lastly why would they all get it all of a sudden?
Thanks
Matt

 

[chickens r life]

Can you post pictures?

 

[azimiut]

I will get pictures tomorrow of each foot. It is dark now. It is a mix of breeds with exception of 2.

 

[Mr Beaks]

Hmm, sounds like the roost could be too high. I've heard they need to be no more than 18" off the ground b/c the impact of repetitive jumping can cause problems, especially in heavier breeds. We are currently working on our 2nd hen with bumblefoot and have had to rearrange the roosts as they were a good 3 ft up, in front of their window.

There are oral antibiotics that can be given. Our 1st hen was prescribed Clavamox 250 MG tablets to be cut into 4ths and given twice a day for 14 days (also available in liquid form.) I have no experience with Penicillin so I can't be of help there.

If all of your chickens have bumblefoot I would treat them all. You could soak their feet in very warm (almost hot) Epsom salt water for 10 - 15 minutes, peel off the scab, fill hole with triple antibiotic ointment (without pain relievers, which are toxic), cover with gauze and fasten with vet wrap. Repeat daily, the idea is to draw the infection to the surface.

I just discovered a new method online today that sounded pretty good for mild cases. There is a spray called Vetericyn. It is non-toxic and is said to kill 99.99% of infection, increasing oxygen supply to the wound and promoting rapid healing. Spray Vetericyn on the foot, wrap with gauze and secure with vet wrap, repeating 3 times a day until infection is gone. I have not tried this option yet but thought it was worth mentioning.

I hope this was helpful to you. Good luck!