California - Northern

[Audio51]

Quote: OK...I will use a bit of that if my hubby can't find the Poly Vi Sol at the grocery store. He just called and said he's having trouble finding it.

hello all -- i've completely lost all ability to keep up with this list, here at the end of the semester -- too much going on & not enough time on-line! but i have a quick query to make, as i've made a somewhat disturbing discovery this afternoon -- go home early enough to let some of the chickens out of their pens, including my small pen of five three-month olds growing out (three isbar, two marans; all girls except one isbar), and noticed that two of them are limping -- looked closer and both have whole toes *missing*. they do not look red or raw, so this didn't happen super-recently (how did i not notice sooner? i'm starting to see the downsides of having more chickens than i really can spend time with), and the five of them all get along great, so i can't imagine anyone's ganging up on each other (the two with trouble are the isbar cockerel & the smaller of the two isbar pullets).

so, I'm imagining perhaps some rodent getting in at night and chewing on them? or is there some other possible cause I'm not thinking of? i'm not sure what to do, and i feel so badly for them! the missing-toe areas look almost black, like they had frostbite (not likely in this weather)...

Wow...that is scary! At least they are already healed up. I'm not sure what would have done that but it sounds like some sort of predator. It may have already resolved itself if these are old wounds. I wonder of something was reaching in and trying to grab them while they slept. Or maybe something to do with roosts? I would check them out and see f there is something there causing it. I know that if they get something wrapped around a toe it will cause the digit to slowly die and fall off. Any thing they could have gotten into that might wrap around......feed bag string or something like that?

 

[lawatt]

Wow...that is scary! At least they are already healed up. I'm not sure what would have done that but it sounds like some sort of predator. It may have already resolved itself if these are old wounds. I wonder of something was reaching in and trying to grab them while they slept. Or maybe something to do with roosts? I would check them out and see f there is something there causing it. I know that if they get something wrapped around a toe it will cause the digit to slowly die and fall off. Any thing they could have gotten into that might wrap around......feed bag string or something like that?

I've managed to get a closer look -- and it's not clear whether they are healed or not, they do not look comfortable at all -- and only one of the five seems to be trouble-free. upon closer inspection, the cockerel is missing most of a middle toe, the isbar pullet is the worst off with two entire toes missing, and clearly having trouble putting weight on that foot (although not "acting sick," she's hopping around eating and etc.), then one marans is missing both back toes, and the other marans seems to have intact feet but is limping.

there's no string or anything they could get caught on, and i don't see how ALL of them could have injured themselves that way -- but the pens are made of hardware cloth, and i don't see any signs of rodents getting in (no droppings etc) or anything else trying to break in. they roost up near the top of their pen, and i can't see how anything could reach them there if it wasn't already IN the pen?

this is so disturbing -- and I don't know what to do for the birds, i don't have an empty pen to move them to, nor am I sure how to treat their feet, or just leave them alone & hope they heal? argh, hate feeling so helpless/clueless!

 

[debs_flock]

I've managed to get a closer look -- and it's not clear whether they are healed or not, they do not look comfortable at all -- and only one of the five seems to be trouble-free. upon closer inspection, the cockerel is missing most of a middle toe, the isbar pullet is the worst off with two entire toes missing, and clearly having trouble putting weight on that foot (although not "acting sick," she's hopping around eating and etc.), then one marans is missing both back toes, and the other marans seems to have intact feet but is limping.

there's no string or anything they could get caught on, and i don't see how ALL of them could have injured themselves that way -- but the pens are made of hardware cloth, and i don't see any signs of rodents getting in (no droppings etc) or anything else trying to break in. they roost up near the top of their pen, and i can't see how anything could reach them there if it wasn't already IN the pen?

this is so disturbing -- and I don't know what to do for the birds, i don't have an empty pen to move them to, nor am I sure how to treat their feet, or just leave them alone & hope they heal? argh, hate feeling so helpless/clueless!

First Laura, toes missing like that would point me to predators and I would definitely suspect rodents. It has to be a sleeping chicken thing, they are nearly comatose when they sleep and vulnerable to attack. A mouse can get through a very tiny hole, a rat not much bigger.

For the birds, I would spray with Vetericyn if you have it on hand. If not, I would get some tomorrow. They have it at any feedstore, I prefer the gel spray. It's a little pricey, but lasts for a long time and is my go to for wounds for dogs & cats also. It came highly recommended by my vet.

If you need to put on something else tonight, I'd use any antibiotic ointment, just don't use something with pain relief.

Good luck on finding out what is getting in, I think it's pretty obvious that something is going after them and not something big enough to take the whole bird. Although my son had rabbits lose toes to a loose dog, but they were in a hanging cage. It wouldn't be a quirky thing like a feed sack string with multiple birds and multiple toes. The odds against that would be phenomenal.

 

[Audio51]

Quote:
Wow....that is weird. You are right...all of them would not likely have had something wrap around the toes. Sounds like it might be time for a game camera. I don't know how else you would figure it out...

 

[chiqita]

I've managed to get a closer look -- and it's not clear whether they are healed or not, they do not look comfortable at all -- and only one of the five seems to be trouble-free. upon closer inspection, the cockerel is missing most of a middle toe, the isbar pullet is the worst off with two entire toes missing, and clearly having trouble putting weight on that foot (although not "acting sick," she's hopping around eating and etc.), then one marans is missing both back toes, and the other marans seems to have intact feet but is limping.

there's no string or anything they could get caught on, and i don't see how ALL of them could have injured themselves that way -- but the pens are made of hardware cloth, and i don't see any signs of rodents getting in (no droppings etc) or anything else trying to break in. they roost up near the top of their pen, and i can't see how anything could reach them there if it wasn't already IN the pen?

this is so disturbing -- and I don't know what to do for the birds, i don't have an empty pen to move them to, nor am I sure how to treat their feet, or just leave them alone & hope they heal? argh, hate feeling so helpless/clueless!

IM so sorry laura! Debs advice beat me. if you realy think they are in pain, you could give them a 1/4 asprin tab low dose. Or spray with poultry aid

 

[lawatt]

First Laura, toes missing like that would point me to predators and I would definitely suspect rodents. It has to be a sleeping chicken thing, they are nearly comatose when they sleep and vulnerable to attack. A mouse can get through a very tiny hole, a rat not much bigger.

For the birds, I would spray with Vetericyn if you have it on hand. If not, I would get some tomorrow. They have it at any feedstore, I prefer the gel spray. It's a little pricey, but lasts for a long time and is my go to for wounds for dogs & cats also. It came highly recommended by my vet.

If you need to put on something else tonight, I'd use any antibiotic ointment, just don't use something with pain relief.

Good luck on finding out what is getting in, I think it's pretty obvious that something is going after them and not something big enough to take the whole bird. Although my son had rabbits lose toes to a loose dog, but they were in a hanging cage. It wouldn't be a quirky thing like a feed sack string with multiple birds and multiple toes. The odds against that would be phenomenal.

thanks, i do have some Vetericyn, so will spray that on -- i only wish i had a different pen to move them to!

 

[ronott1]

Quote:

First Laura, toes missing like that would point me to predators and I would definitely suspect rodents. It has to be a sleeping chicken thing, they are nearly comatose when they sleep and vulnerable to attack. A mouse can get through a very tiny hole, a rat not much bigger.

For the birds, I would spray with Vetericyn if you have it on hand. If not, I would get some tomorrow. They have it at any feedstore, I prefer the gel spray. It's a little pricey, but lasts for a long time and is my go to for wounds for dogs & cats also. It came highly recommended by my vet.

If you need to put on something else tonight, I'd use any antibiotic ointment, just don't use something with pain relief.

Good luck on finding out what is getting in, I think it's pretty obvious that something is going after them and not something big enough to take the whole bird. Although my son had rabbits lose toes to a loose dog, but they were in a hanging cage. It wouldn't be a quirky thing like a feed sack string with multiple birds and multiple toes. The odds against that would be phenomenal.

It does sound like Rats. It can be a constant battle to keep them under control.

I hope the chickens recover!

Are the hurt ones all in one coop and the other coop is ok? If so, pay attention to the coop they are in. There may be a burrow or a hole chewed through some where.

A redesign with wire on the bottom of the run may be necessary.

 

[chiqita]

thanks, i do have some Vetericyn, so will spray that on -- i only wish i had a different pen to move them to!

can you put a board down on the bottom of the pen? Or ( sorry I know its not popular) a trap the chickens cant trigger, like a rat zapper in your coop?

 

[chiqita]

I set the hovabator up for the first big dicky hatch. I wont need it this time, but it will hold 60 hatchers with room for the water cup. I bet I have to get a cover for the cup with the eggs being higher then they were.

the set now was 18/24 seabrights that are looking to be lockdown friday ( shipped from texas) . I finished the last hatch and sanitized everything. I have about 15 project eggs I don't remember if the went in the 11th or the 14th! I will check them for veins Friday and see, lol.

 

[lawatt]

can you put a board down on the bottom of the pen? Or ( sorry I know its not popular) a trap the chickens cant trigger, like a rat zapper in your coop?

i could try a mouse/rat trap, but don't have any on-hand at the moment.

and re: Ron's question, yes, this pen is one of four that are all part of the same single structure (two small 8x4' pens, two bigger 8x8' pens, all covered on all sides by hardware cloth with corrugated plastic roofing), and i don't see any trouble with anyone's feet in any of the other pens.

these five have been in one of the small pens, and just the adult campine pair in the other (the gender-uncertain campine has been living outside the pens for over a month now, roosting each night in the nearby tree branches), so for tonight at least, i've moved the five into the campine's pen, the campines are out foraging (happy to be out!), and I'm going to see whether i can put the two adults in with the other growing-out chicks (most of whom are campines anyway) -- they are little (5/6/8 weeks), but there's lots of them and only two adults, so hoping there wouldn't be too much picking on the little ones?

and believe me, i'm already starting to go over that one pen in detail -- cannot see any route in, nor any rodent droppings or other sign, but will keep looking!

there are no flesh-eating bacteria that attack chickens' toes, are there? (sprayed all their poor feet with vetericyn, and will reapply tomorrow morning)