Bumblefoot Prevention - Is there a way?

[Suedan]

I am a learning duck owner, I see a lot of bumble foot problems for ducks and I was wondering if there is any preventative care that I can provide? Does anyone do anything with "antibacterial anything" to prevent it from happening?
Many thanks!

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

I don't think there's much you can do to prevent Bumblefoot, you can:

• Make sure that there are no sharp objects and edges present where your ducks are running so that they won't hurt their feet and get an infection.
• Catch your ducks daily and massage their feet with neosporin.

And they still will be able to cut or poke their feet and walk into poop with the open wound and catch an infection.

 

[Ratchnick]

I think some people have found that shaving bedding was the cause of their bumble problems. Ultimately the infection usually starts with a cut on the food so the best prevention is to have nothing that they can poke their feet.

 

[Duckfarmer1]

Honestly, that would be awesome to prevent such a thing..and if you only have a few ducks then maybe you can do the daily checking, and massage..but, I think..this is just my opinion...we have do our part to make things safe with bedding and whatever..but, they are roamers...and, the only true way to stop it is to stop them from getting around, and to ,e, that’s not fair....I think they should be able to get into a little mischief etc..that’s a duck, and that’s why most of us love them. So, for my farm, when Bumblefoot happens, I treat it carefully and by the book. I have had excellent results. I have had more than 50 ducks, 4 with Bumblefoot. Each are doing great and you would never know it happened.

 

[KaleIAm]

I am a learning duck owner, I see a lot of bumble foot problems for ducks and I was wondering if there is any preventative care that I can provide? Does anyone do anything with "antibacterial anything" to prevent it from happening?
Many thanks!

My experience has been that bumblefoot can be prevented. My veterinarian made some husbandry recommendations for me to follow, and since doing so I have had no bumblefoot. Previously I had it all the time.

She recommended using only hay or straw in their coop/sleeping room - and quite a thick layer of it. About 4 inches. Outside she told me to have only dirt or grass.

The hay/straw does need frequent weekly changing. If I don't it gets moldy. It is harder to spot clean than the aspen or pine bedding I was using previously. The extras work is worth it to me. The bumbles were painful to to my ducks.

She was thinking about having my ducks on sand, but was worried they might eat it and become impacted. So that might be an option for bumblefoot relief, too. I know some people here use it without a problem. I'd like to try, but I'm scared of impaction.

I do take my ducks on walks daily where they hop all over all kinds of boards, cinder blocks, and gravel. But we do mostly stay on the lawn or in the garden. Mostly because that's where they like to forage and I like to hang out.

No bumbles for 3 years.

 

[Suedan]

Many thanks everyone! I will look into changing bedding to hay vs shavings.
I do have some slate rocks that they walk on, I will get those moved.
Thank you so much!

 

[Duckfarmer1]

My experience has been that bumblefoot can be prevented. My veterinarian made some husbandry recommendations for me to follow, and since doing so I have had no bumblefoot. Previously I had it all the time.

She recommended using only hay or straw in their coop/sleeping room - and quite a thick layer of it. About 4 inches. Outside she told me to have only dirt or grass.

The hay/straw does need frequent weekly changing. If I don't it gets moldy. It is harder to spot clean than the aspen or pine bedding I was using previously. The extras work is worth it to me. The bumbles were painful to to my ducks.

She was thinking about having my ducks on sand, but was worried they might eat it and become impacted. So that might be an option for bumblefoot relief, too. I know some people here use it without a problem. I'd like to try, but I'm scared of impaction.

I do take my ducks on walks daily where they hop all over all kinds of boards, cinder blocks, and gravel. But we do mostly stay on the lawn or in the garden. Mostly because that's where they like to forage and I like to hang out.

No bumbles for 3 years.

That’s really awesome! I, too use about 4” of straw in my barn, and whatever hay my goats don’t deem worthy of eating. lol. I tend to clean up half my barn every 2-3 days, but I have 43 ducks. My ducks are free range during the day on our farm, and I do wish I could keep them from getting hurt, but, I had a child who was sickly in his young years and was prevented from a lot of activities. That kid wanted soo bad to be out with the other kids, and it broke my heart. Since then, I have tried to, within limits, ET him, and my animals experience life to the fullest. So, I think you are so lucky to have had no instances of Bumblefoot, but, I think we’re not so bad here.

 

[Loopeend]

I'm beginning to think bummblefoot has much to do with stafylococcus.
Since we don't encounter it here. Besides from certain breeds-lines brought in. It's really rare. Never met anyone with an duck with bumblefeet. Chickens/pidgeons maybe 2-3 breeders. Rats, hamster and guinea pigs, also never.

Humans though; have certain stafylococcus virusses here. Especially revolving around acne. The kind where a pimple opens; it effect their own skin and creates more. And every slight damage/ingrown hair becomes acne. Because of the stafylococcus that they heriditary carry and infects themselves (and only themselves).
Just like pnk-eye; never met anyone in my life with it (but according to US highschool movies it's something that excists?), but we do get our share of mouth-herpes.

If that's the case; you can't do anything about it.

You can only do só much to prevent them to get bumps/scratches. Not getting any is impossible. Treat wounds. But also; out-breed it. It's inhumane to do that with humans..but as a breeder you can.

 

[Suedan]

I'm beginning to think bummblefoot has much to do with stafylococcus.
Since we don't encounter it here. Besides from certain breeds-lines brought in. It's really rare. Never met anyone with an duck with bumblefeet. Chickens/pidgeons maybe 2-3 breeders. Rats, hamster and guinea pigs, also never.

Humans though; have certain stafylococcus virusses here. Especially revolving around acne. The kind where a pimple opens; it effect their own skin and creates more. And every slight damage/ingrown hair becomes acne. Because of the stafylococcus that they heriditary carry and infects themselves (and only themselves).
Just like pnk-eye; never met anyone in my life with it (but according to US highschool movies it's something that excists?), but we do get our share of mouth-herpes.

If that's the case; you can't do anything about it.

You can only do só much to prevent them to get bumps/scratches. Not getting any is impossible. Treat wounds. But also; out-breed it. It's inhumane to do that with humans..but as a breeder you can.

That is very interesting! And yes, we do have pink eye here. And bumble foot. Very interesting!

 

[Loopeend]

That is very interesting! And yes, we do have pink eye here. And bumble foot. Very interesting!

Sorry, didn't want to take over your post. It was just the 10000th bumblefoot post; and on all Dutch and German fowl-forums it's not a thing? Our ducks aren't treated any different. So just like pink-eye; it just must not be here. But unlike pink-eye, which is an viral bacterial infection; stafylococcus is more heritary. It must be that; if it was viral bacterial ALL of your ducks/hens got is simoultainilisouly.

But stafylococcus you can't do anything about. It is caried in the body from birth.
The only thing you can do is breed it out =/ But since it only shows áfter a wound..that's hard to do!

So I guess just treat it is the only option. Or lock them up alone in a all-pillowed tiny room..

If it is stafylococcus; anti-bacterial things won't work well; since it comes from the inside. The "bactery" is already present in the skin/blood for life and allways has been. So you can only relieve. Check them often, and relieve.