Bumblefoot in three hens (and a broken beak)

[OffGridChook]

I almost always check their feet but since my step kids were here For the spring I had been slacking on that. every time I checked there were never issues. I never noticed limping and they still are not limping.

It’s firm like a corn). Should I just leave them alone and watch it? It’s very dry here now so no risk of water or mud.

Also Fluourine, the one with the largest lesions on her feet, broke her beak a few weeks ago (about 3 1/2) trying to get flies or roots through the hardware cloth. I came home to her roosting in the coop and blood flung everywhere. I noticed the others pecked her beak when she came out to greet me. I kept her in my bathroom overnight, then placed her in the coop with the door closed (but shutters open) so she could be near the others, but not. anyway. She eats fine and I make her mash pretty often to make sure she’s getting enough food. I have to put her sunflower seeds in the run litter so that it’s suspended a bit so she can grab it. She’s not very good at picking things up off the bare ground if the item is small or flat.

I did not have leftover beak to glue back on (I think they ate it!!!) and there was raw skin so I chose not to. It had stopped bleeding on its own but occasionally she reinjures the tip.

Not sure what to do about Bumblefoot. I think I’m going to watch it and see if it clears up on it’s own; no redness or pus but definitely dark and hard. Again? No wet bedding or mud around and the only way they could have gotten a splinter is from an outside roost that they barely use.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I have some birds that seem more prone to bumblefoot just because they're heavier (so harder landing on/off roosts). Since you mentioned it's dry, that's pretty ideal for treating bumblefoot (after treatment I'd just bandage them up and they go back in with the rest, no need to separate since their feet should stay dry), so I'd personally try getting the scabs out and getting them shrunk down a bit (like the smaller scabs on the top 2 birds are probably ok to leave alone for now and just monitor). Especially on Fluourine, those look the biggest.

The beak will hopefully grow back on its own over time. It's probably pretty tender but not sure if there's anything you can do to make it better since you don't have the missing tip piece to try and glue back in place. Continue with the wet feed as it's ideal since it's easiest to eat with beak issues

 

[OffGridChook]

I have some birds that seem more prone to bumblefoot just because they're heavier (so harder landing on/off roosts). Since you mentioned it's dry, that's pretty ideal for treating bumblefoot (after treatment I'd just bandage them up and they go back in with the rest, no need to separate since their feet should stay dry), so I'd personally try getting the scabs out and getting them shrunk down a bit (like the smaller scabs on the top 2 birds are probably ok to leave alone for now and just monitor). Especially on Fluourine, those look the biggest.

The beak will hopefully grow back on its own over time. It's probably pretty tender but not sure if there's anything you can do to make it better since you don't have the missing tip piece to try and glue back in place. Continue with the wet feed as it's ideal since it's easiest to eat with beak issues

Thank you! I just looked at Fluorine’s again and the one certainly looks bigger than I first thought. She was in the coop on the soft bedding and I noticed her foot was curled, like she was knuckling. Even though she doesn't visibly limp I’m sure it doesn’t feel great. I’ll treat that one for certain. She’s going to hate it she’s had such a tough month.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Thank you! I just looked at Fluorine’s again and the one certainly looks bigger than I first thought. She was in the coop on the soft bedding and I noticed her foot was curled, like she was knuckling. Even though she doesn't visibly limp I’m sure it doesn’t feel great. I’ll treat that one for certain. She’s going to hate it she’s had such a tough month.

She'll hate it while treatment is on going, then she'll get over it. And even if you can't get it 100% cleaned out (with these hard, dried ones, sometimes it really is just scab you're removing, and not any noticeable infection under it), if you can get the scabs shrunk down that should help her feel better.

 

[OffGridChook]

Good news! I believe 5 out of six feet are healed. The healed areas are only very lightly tannish, no longer red or Dark brown/black. The remaining one (on Fluorine, the worst case) is just an open hole that’s getting smaller. I have to soak off her bandage as the first few times it stuck and bled and she was not happy with me. I thought it was black again this morning (two days inbetween each bandage change) But it was just either old blood or dirt be arse it scrubbed right up with only a little new bleeding. I never got a kernel out of any of them, only stringy stuff out of Fluorine’s bad one. I apply vetrycin, neosporin, then a gauze pad, a bandaid and vetwrap and medical tape on the shank to keep it all secure. They all stopped picking at it at the end though. No one ever looked or showed discomfort except for after I was digging in it and peeling off scabs. Thank you for all of your guidance and support. I hope Fluorine’s continues to heal!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Great to hear, and keep at it! And I rarely get kernels (which is a good thing, IMO, means there's not really an infection to try and force out), so treatment is mostly to try and to reduce the scabbing and ensure nothing gets worse.