- Nov 11, 2009
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Well, I'm new to chicken raising, but noticed a couple of mine (out of 16) had what I "thought" were warts on their feet. But one of them was getting so bad, you could tell she didn't want to put pressure on that foot.....so I came here hunting for answers.....and may I say, this thread was MOST informative.....thanks to Ruth and all who have posted here.
So, last night, I got her captive and up to the house. This is what I found....she probably DID have the infection on the bottom of her foot originally, as there was a very small, black dot in the foot center.....but it looked so well "cured" that I decided not to mess with it. The REAL problem were two large growths with a black head on upper sides of the center toe. See pic:
Both sides looked like this:
So, after soaking it in warm water/epsom salt mix, I proceeded to operate. She took it pretty well.....would move around some when I hit a really tender spot, and I'd back off, but eventually I got the first one opened up pretty good and cleaned out. Got that "hard kernel" Ruth mentioned, and a whole lot of cottage cheese looking junk. When it would bleed too much to see, I'd pat it down with paper towels until the bleeding staunched enough to proceed, and got it cleaned of all the white cheesey stuff I could find.
Other side, the black scab popped right out, and pulled the harden kernel with it....not too much cheesey stuff there, but I got all I could see.
Packed as much Triple Bactine antibiotic in the wounds as possible, then bandaged with the stretchy gauge like Ruth shows around the toes, and topped off with a thin strip of tape to hold it. Took her back down the chicken house, and put her on the roost.
This morning, got down there before daylight, flipped on the lights, and she was one of the first off the roost....outside and attacking the scratch I normally throw them in the morning....so she seemed no worse for the wear.
Thanks again, Ruth, for the EXCELLENT info in this thread !
So, last night, I got her captive and up to the house. This is what I found....she probably DID have the infection on the bottom of her foot originally, as there was a very small, black dot in the foot center.....but it looked so well "cured" that I decided not to mess with it. The REAL problem were two large growths with a black head on upper sides of the center toe. See pic:
Both sides looked like this:
So, after soaking it in warm water/epsom salt mix, I proceeded to operate. She took it pretty well.....would move around some when I hit a really tender spot, and I'd back off, but eventually I got the first one opened up pretty good and cleaned out. Got that "hard kernel" Ruth mentioned, and a whole lot of cottage cheese looking junk. When it would bleed too much to see, I'd pat it down with paper towels until the bleeding staunched enough to proceed, and got it cleaned of all the white cheesey stuff I could find.
Other side, the black scab popped right out, and pulled the harden kernel with it....not too much cheesey stuff there, but I got all I could see.
Packed as much Triple Bactine antibiotic in the wounds as possible, then bandaged with the stretchy gauge like Ruth shows around the toes, and topped off with a thin strip of tape to hold it. Took her back down the chicken house, and put her on the roost.
This morning, got down there before daylight, flipped on the lights, and she was one of the first off the roost....outside and attacking the scratch I normally throw them in the morning....so she seemed no worse for the wear.
Thanks again, Ruth, for the EXCELLENT info in this thread !
