Bumblefoot

[Lochsa44]

Hi all. My wife and I started a backyard flock a couple years ago. I always considered White Leghorns to be a sturdy breed but out of the few leghorns we've had, they've all gotten bumblefoot, none of the other breeds have gotten it living in the same surroundings. When I was a kid we had leghorns and their feet and legs were strong, these that we bought at a feed store have frail little feet. My question for anyone who knows, Have they bred down Leghorns, did I buy a mixed breed or was it just bad luck?

 

[LaFleche]

Welcome to BYC

Sadly, I had the same experience with my three whiteLeghorns some years ago. They were the only ones with bumblefoot in my then rather big flock of almost 85 chickens.

I suppose that the strain on these petite birds of laying overly big eggs every single day may leave them somewhat depleted, no matter how well fed they are.