Bumblefoot and Lice

[Crazy_Beautiful]

Just looking for opinions to have different ideas to chose from.

I’ve been battling bumblefoot in 5 birds this summer. I’ve been able to cure 2 with Epson salts baths.

One bird Stella was treated with antibiotics and pain. She originally had bumblefoot on both feet and I’ve managed to get it healed or almost healed on the one foot.
Princess and Stella aren’t very mobile anymore my guess is pain. Which I feel is also causing skin irritation for Princess.
Blackie is hard to catch so her pain mustn’t be as bad lol.

The 3 remaining birds with bumble foot also have lice my guess is from lack of movement.

My routine for treatment has been
Epsom every 2-3 days depending on my schedule if the scab is loose I do pick it out.
I sanded down all my roosts and raked out the runs.
I’ve been spraying my entire flock with Dr Doom Lice Killer for Poultry every 5-7 days. I originally did 10 days and they got more nits than previous so I increased the frequency.
I spray my coops once a month with a pyrethrim spray.

I originally took Stella into our vet to get her accessed. I had done it last year for another bird and they cut the infection out of that bird wrapped her foot and gave her a shot of antibiotics. She was better within a week.
New vet this time and she won’t cut out the infection. She wants me to more antibiotics and pain for Stella and Princess and run a longer course of it thinking 10 days. Continue Epsom salt baths 2 times a day.
Vet also wants me to purchase Ectiban for the lice as I guess what I’ve been using she says isn’t approved on her vet list.
My last bill from the vet was $80 just for Stella. I communicated with the vet that I found the cost fairly high for a chicken. And that these 2 are my oldest birds as I like a young flock and sell every 2 years … these girls were on the list to rehome this year which I obviously couldn’t do with their feet.

I’ve attached photos.

Looking for thoughts… how much time would someone put into this? Am I being rash? Vet seems to think I am. But at what point do you say I can’t spend that amount of money … my thought is to cull now as I’m already $80 in the hole and I’m going back to work soon and won’t have as much time available to spend on this. I’ve been battling this since June.

I also don’t know how to cull so that also is playing into my not knowing what to do.

 

[Eggcessive]

You are also dealing with scaly leg mites. Treat those by cleaning out your bedding, nests, etc, and adding clean new pine shavings. Apply vaseline or other oil to the legs twice a week, rubbing it into their scales on those ones with it. I don’t do bumblefoot surgery or even treat it anymore, unless there is limping or a very red swollen scab on the footpad or between toes. Otherwise, I would treat with soaking in Epsom salts and warm water, and using either a drawing salve or sugardine (a combination of sugar mixed with Betadine povidone iodine into a paste. Apply it to the scab and wrap it for a day or two, then repeat.

 

[Eggcessive]

Here is a pretty good video of treating bumble foot, soaking, and applying dressings. You can use Prid, sugardine, Neosporin, and then remove the scab and plug:

 

[Crazy_Beautiful]

But my question is at what point do you say I’ve spent enough money.
Vet has me feeling guilty.
These are really pets. I sell eggs and chicks as a hobby and I like to break even on the cost of the bird by the end of 2 years when I rehome … usually for only $5 per hen.

As for the above videos I did what those said for the first month. Spent maybe $50 in total on salves, neosporin vet wrap and Epson salt.

Vet said never to wrap that I made it worse.

 

[Crazy_Beautiful]

I hope I’m not coming across as uncaring. It’s more I’m frustrated and really am just curious how far others would take it.

I’ve been spending my evenings soaking chicken feet while my family does things like swimming or bonfires with neighbours.
I didn’t go on vacation to the cottage this year I stayed home to administer antibiotics to chickens.

Vet is saying she believes it’ll be another 4 months for Stella and Princess but summer is almost over. And my regular life of work and Uber driver for my kids sports will start up again.

I do believe I am a fairly caring chicken owner.

And the scaly leg mites that was an issue from last year and this breed of chicken is just not as hardy. They don’t have mites this is just from not molting yet. I also treat for that a regular basis with an oil dip on their legs. And these 2 are the only ones I’m having this issue with all my other birds are good.

My husband says I’ve done enough.
Vet seems to want more money
And I’m concerned with them being in pain.

Wish I had learned from my G’pa who was a farmer how to cull but I was young and he shielded me from that aspect.

 

[Eggcessive]

There are videos online of humane culling methods. Many people will take free chickens to start a flock. I think the minimum is oiling the legs once a week. But it has to be done for weeks until the new scales grow in. If you kept some used vegetable oil or lard kept in a closed container, you could just dip them quickly. Make sure they have a spot to dust bathe in some dirt, and they may take care of the leg mites before they start. They will get the dirt on the greasy legs, but it kind of helps get rid of the leg mites. If you have a Dollar Tree nearby, you can get 2x2 pads, Neosporin, and vet wrap at $1.25. I don’t take chickens to the vet. It is outrageous enough to treat dogs or cats for vaccinations or problems.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

I can't go in one direction to answer your question really. Because on one hand, I can't even remotely "break even," with chicken cost and I don't even have vet issues. On the other if I had vet issues, I wouldn't take a chicken to the vet even though not about money, I just think if I can't solve it myself then it's their time... I would cull (forum search for methods,) these 2 since you've done alot and you're only looking at more. But move forward with changes so it doesn't happen again. Solve root cause of Bumblefoot and Lice. How did they get bumblefoot? Change that. What is the hard surface, situation that caused it? Why are you dealing with lice? It's not just breed specific, so solve for that. If you think you have a clean coop, make it even cleaner. The fact that you're using Pyrethrin regularly does suggest you need to change it up. Is it to small? If I had this issue, I would move my chickens to a different/new coop and completely gut and treat the lice infested coop, then paint the whole thing with Kilz. What is the dust bath situation? Do they have access to quality sand, wood ash, DE, etc. dust bath every day?