Bumblefoot spreading through the flock

[nnbreeder]

I have used a lot of Cedar in a lot of different projects and besides the oil problems it splinters really bad. Little tiny things that you can hardly see to dig out of fingers. Splinters fron Cedar fester up faster and more intensly then other types of wood too. Well in my hands anyway.

 

[allison finch]

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I think it must be a factor. Having such recurrent problems is leaning towards this. I wouldn't use cedar, though. Consider taking a grinder and really rounding the edges off the 2x4's. That is what the medical links suggest one should do.

 

[speckledhen]

I have 2x4 roosts flat as well as very well-rounded 2x4's that came from a pallet. The 2x4's should not be the issue, but over time, they get scarred up by the toenails and gouged and must be re-sanded. I do that, then I use light oil on them, but give that all day to soak in so they don't slip at roost time, LOL.

 

[LuvinMyPeeps]

What about sanding then painting the roosts with exterior paint? Would that help soften/fill in the wood and make the roosts easier to clean too? I've been thinking about doing this so they don't get bumblefoot.

 

[Judy]

I gather most people get discouraged with trying to keep roosts painted. They scratch the paint off with their nails too quickly.

 

[elmo]

Just wondering...is the wood for your roosts treated or untreated?

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

You know, I have no idea. I was using both treated and untreated lumber in that project. The roosts were cut from scraps left over. Do we think the treated lumber is somehow causing the problems? They've been using that coop and those roosts for a year now. I didn't start having problems until the beginning of this summer. Wonder why it would become an issue now?

I'll get out there and sand everything down. I also think I'm going to rearrange the roost placement. Are there standards for LF as to how far apart roosts should be? There are four in there arranged like stair steps. Maybe they are too far apart?

So my mom was really hesitant when I mentioned her helping with getting the plugs out of their feet. I'm wondering now if this is a project I can just do myself. Are there any tricks to cutting, cleaning and wrapping their feet? I was going to have someone hold the birds for me while I did it (or vice versa if they were freaked by holding the birds). Is there a way I can do this myself?

 

[speckledhen]

Fold a towel lengthwise and use it to wrap her wings close to her body, but don't get it too tight or she can't breathe. That is what we do. I did it once by myself and that helped alot. And you don't slice across the pad, but cut around the scab all the way, sort of in at a 45 degree angle, then try to gently pull the scab out with the plug. If you're lucky, the entire thing will come out. Solidified infection will look like provolone cheese (white and opaque) as opposed to clear yellowish like the fat in her pad. You may have to squeeze the pad a bit after that to bring stuff up to the surface. Every one is a bit different and what happens one time may not happen the same way the next time. Have paper towels if you get bleeding.

Once we used some PVC pipe as a nest landing bar, but to keep it from being slippery, we put a length of non-skid tape on it, which, being like coarse sandpaper, caused the first case of bumblefoot here. So, remove anything rough. And I would not use treated wood on roosts. Splinters from that stuff will start some nasty infections.

 

[Attack Chicken]

I tried once to cut open my hens foot. I was scared of hurting her. I wish I could find someone to help me with bumble foot

I don't have the guts to cut deeper because of hurting her.

 

[mypicklebird]

your drug choice seems to be based on what you have in your medicine cabinet- not what organism you probably have present. Straight Amoxicillin is a poor choice, most staph can break this down. Ciprofloxacin is a second generation fluoroquinolone, this whole class is flat prohibited in food animals (chickens included). This drug is reserved for resistant organisms, and is used in human medicine as well as veterinary- but banned in food animals. Don't use it. Oxytetracycline is also not useful for most bumblefoot infections. These are walled off pus filled cavities- and the most important thing is to get the garbage out. Systemic drugs are not very helpful as the pus core has no blood supply- so the antibiotic cannot reach it. Cleaning out the garbage and packing with a topical antibiotic is going to be more effective.
Culling a bird with bumblefoot? only if you don't have time and energy to try to help the bird, or if it does not get better with your best efforts- and is in pain (limping).


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