Bumble foot outbreak?!?!?!

[rthiesse]

We are fairly new to backyard chickens. We currently have 22 ladies that are very well loved by our kiddos. Our hens roost in a barn at night and free range all over the farm during the day. This afternoon I noticed one of our ladies limping and checked her legs and feet. Both feet had a black spot and seemed swollen, but I had never really examined their feet before, so I wasn't sure what to look for. I grabbed another lady to compare and she, too, had a black spot on each foot, but was running around just fine. Upon further inspection, we have quite a few 6-7 birds with these "spots" on their feet. Is it possible that they ALL have bumble foot and are still tolerating it, unlike our poor limping lady? What would cause this, if it is? What are we doing wrong? The idea of surgery makes me very nervous, are there any other options? I included pictures of the foot of only lady that seems bothered. Any help would be very much appreciated!

 

[chickluvinfreak]

It definitely looks like bumble foot. And your other hens probably have it too. It takes time for it to build up to the point of causing them to limp. You could try to find a vet to perform the surgery for you. But considering 1/2 a dozen or more of your hens need surgery that would cost a astronomical amount of money. Their is an article about a non invasive treatment you could try http://ouroneacrefarm.com/bumblefoot-treatment-tricideneo/
What exactly are they roosting on? If it's a old barn they could be getting splinters. Are their any sharp rocks, nails or exposed wire they could be stepping on? They must be cutting their feet on something to cause the bumble foot.

 

[rthiesse]

They roost on 2x4's stair stepped that my husband made. We checked for splinters. My only thought is that while they are out during the day they are getting into thistles or some other pokey/thorny plants? I have no clue! We just feel horrible that so many of them are sick!

 

[lovemy6hens]

Yes, it's most likely bumblefoot for all of them with a scab on the bottom of the foot. They usually won't begin limping until they absolutely can't tolerate walking normally. There are a lot of different things that can lead to bumblefoot and it can be a combination of things too; removing or minimizing those has to be done or they won't heal. Roosts that are too rough can be a factor, but so can roosts that are too smooth. It's not necessarily a puncture would either; bruising can lead to bumblefoot.

Don't cut into their feet if it can be avoided. There are a lot of threads on BYC with alternative treatments. Keep in mind that what works for one hen may not necessarily work for all of them. Treating multiple birds takes a lot of time. The healing process can take a long of time.