Bumblefoot questions

[Bush84]

A little back story first. First year with chickens. They are in a gravel floor shed. Not a problem in summer. Apparently problem in winter. I have two roosters with bumble I believe. Few questions about it.

Can you ever just have a callus or is it just an early infection?

Does it always require the procedure or can a mild case resolve on its own?

I don't see any scabs or significant redness. It just looks swollen at the pads. It would be quite easy for me to do the procedure as I do this on humans all the time. It's just a big time commitment to do and help heal. I brought him inside for now and now have pine shavings on the floor.

 

[MrsBachbach]

A little back story first. First year with chickens. They are in a gravel floor shed. Not a problem in summer. Apparently problem in winter. I have two roosters with bumble I believe. Few questions about it.

Can you ever just have a callus or is it just an early infection?

Does it always require the procedure or can a mild case resolve on its own?

I don't see any scabs or significant redness. It just looks swollen at the pads. It would be quite easy for me to do the procedure as I do this on humans all the time. It's just a big time commitment to do and help heal. I brought him inside for now and now have pine shavings on the floor.

I would first get rid of the gravel floor. Imagine jumping down from the roost onto a bunch of rocks. Ouch. It only takes a scrape or cut on the foot area and e-coli to enter it to start a bumble. Swelling may be the beginning of it. You know for sure when you see a black scab show up on the footpad or one of the toes. Right now, I would put soft bedding on the floor of the coop or use sand and remove the rocks. Then I would start a daily soaking of his feet with warm water and epsom salts for about a week. Doesn't take much water in a bucket and some salts, soak about 15 min a day and see it that helps reduce swelling. I have a rectangular mop bucket that I put a couple of inches of warm water and the salts, then I quickly put him in and then take my rectangular laundry basket and put over that. A brick on top helps make sure he doesn't try to fight his way out. He still has breathing holes through the basket which sits a bit above the top of the bucket.
It makes a great soaking station.

 

[Bush84]

If you read the end of my post it indicates that I put pine shavings down. I will try the warm soaks. Off topic a tish...anybody know a good way to get mass quantities of pine shavings.

 

[Bush84]

He seems on enjoy his soak. We put him in a 5 gallon bucket and thus far hasn't tried to get out.

 

[Hholly]

You can buy bales of pine shavings at Tractor Supply or Rural King, etc. I have seen where someone helped their bird's bumblefoot with a small doughnut shaped pad like a corn pad, taped to the foot. There is also the Tricide-Neo soak method.
http://ouroneacrefarm.com/bumblefoot-treatment-tricideneo/
https://www.drscholls.com/productsandbrands/corncushions/

 

[MrsBachbach]

If you read the end of my post it indicates that I put pine shavings down. I will try the warm soaks. Off topic a tish...anybody know a good way to get mass quantities of pine shavings.

Do you have any lumber mills nearby? Otherwise, Tractor Supply sells compressed bags.

 

[Bush84]

Generally frostbite should be black but is there any way frostbite could give you a hard and swollen pad on the foot?

 

[pineapple416]

I'm not sure about the frostbite question, but like many others have suggested I would put pine shavings in the coop for the other chickens. We have lost a turkey to some kind of foot infection so make sure to keep an eye on him. It sounds like your doing a good job, and I would continue soaking his feet. If it doesn't go away or gets worse, and you are sure that it is bumble foot, I would do the procedure. Good luck!

 

[MrsBachbach]

Generally frostbite should be black but is there any way frostbite could give you a hard and swollen pad on the foot?

Were any of your chickens sick in the past? Fowl cholera can affect chickens in one of two ways. Once way is a localized infection that can settle in the joints, wattles or even the footpad is what I read. It produces swelling. You can look it up and read on it. It's about the only other thing I can think of. They can get calloused footpads also, but it's hard to say, we haven't seen a picture of the footpad in question.
Is the soaking doing any good? Probably still to early to produce results right now.

 

[Bush84]

So in reality neither feet look great but the foot on the left is the foot he won't stand on. The foot you see on the right looks worse to me. It appears more red and swollen and has a blister but he stands on it. The foot you see on the right looks pale and feels hard. He has a small flake of skin coming off. What does everybody see?

Edit-not sure it helps but he seems to have trouble balancing on that foot. It's like he is on a seesaw and that pad is the fulcrum.