Chicken has bloody feet.

pnwchicklvr

Chirping
Apr 22, 2018
28
98
79
Salem, OR
I have a 15 week Blue Langshan that was fine mid morning and when I went to the coop about 4 hours later I noticed that both of her feet were bloody. She has feathers on her feet that look as if they were pulled out. I soaked her in some warm water to clean it up and the bleeding has stopped. This is my first group of chickens so I’m not sure what to do. I have spent a lot of time with them and have never seen aggression from any of them. I have a total of eight including 2 RIR, a speckled Sussex, silver lakenvelder, astralorp, Easter Egger and a barred Plymouth Rock. I have one that may be a cockerel, but I’m not really sure. I’m realizing that I should have some sort of “first aid kit” for them, but again, I’m not sure what I should have on hand. I’ve posted pictures and would appreciate any advice.

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If you get only one thing for your first aid kit, it should be Vetericyn. It's an antiseptic spray and it also promotes new tissue growth while guarding against infection.

Is that a shredded talon or just stripped foot feathers? Either way, this little patient would greatly benefit from daily soaks in warm Epsom salt water until healing is well underway. It will cut down on chances of infection by removing accumulated bacteria while promoting blood circulation to help in healing.

If that is a shredded toe, it should be bandaged after soaking and spraying with Vetericyn and an antibiotic ointment applied to the raw tissue.

I doubt the injury was caused by any aggressive chicken. More likely she got the foot caught and panicked. You need to check over the run to see if you can find where she got it caught. She also could have been a victim of a predator such as a raccoon reaching through the fence and snagging her foot and it got injured when the critter tried to yank her through the fence mesh. If your fencing doesn't have hardware cloth around the entire lower three feet, perhaps you might consider it.
 
If you get only one thing for your first aid kit, it should be Vetericyn. It's an antiseptic spray and it also promotes new tissue growth while guarding against infection.

Is that a shredded talon or just stripped foot feathers? Either way, this little patient would greatly benefit from daily soaks in warm Epsom salt water until healing is well underway. It will cut down on chances of infection by removing accumulated bacteria while promoting blood circulation to help in healing.

If that is a shredded toe, it should be bandaged after soaking and spraying with Vetericyn and an antibiotic ointment applied to the raw tissue.

I doubt the injury was caused by any aggressive chicken. More likely she got the foot caught and panicked. You need to check over the run to see if you can find where she got it caught. She also could have been a victim of a predator such as a raccoon reaching through the fence and snagging her foot and it got injured when the critter tried to yank her through the fence mesh. If your fencing doesn't have hardware cloth around the entire lower three feet, perhaps you might consider it.
Thank you so much for the input. Both of her feet have the same injury. The run has hardware cloth 3 feet deep in addition to the floor of the entire run. The coop is raised 3 feet above the run and I close them in every night. It doesn’t look like a shredded toe, but it literally looks like the feathers have been ripped out. However, I will definitely get some vetericyn and continue to soak it. Do you have any other suggestions of what I should have on hand for injuries?
 
I would definitely spray with the blue antiseptic spray...maybe the others were pecking her feet thinking she had something on them since her feet are black and feathers are white? That's what mine would do I am sure...I had to spray my chickens whole leg and foot with the blue spray and put a red light in for them so they would quit pecking at her feet.
 
As to what you should have on hand for injuries, it greatly depends on how you view your chickens. (treasured beloved pets, useful and fun pet/livestock, or livestock)

As to the damage, it looks to me like the feet feathers are growing in. One growing foot feather must have been bumped or banged against something (EASY for this age chicken to accidentally do, they haven't yet learned to be graceful), and that one drop of blood probably triggered all of the other chickens to go after her feet.

I have seen that happen before even in sweet peaceful flocks with plenty of space. The problem is those foot feathers are so easily damaged and any damage results in such bright red blood on a wiggling jerking foot.

Irresistible!

If you can make sure the risk of rebleeding is minimal, she can go back with the flock. If there is any risk of a rebleed, she might need to be put in a kennel out in the coop for a few days. (so everyone stays familiar with each other).
 
I would definitely spray with the blue antiseptic spray...maybe the others were pecking her feet thinking she had something on them since her feet are black and feathers are white? That's what mine would do I am sure...I had to spray my chickens whole leg and foot with the blue spray and put a red light in for them so they would quit pecking at her feet.
That makes me feel better. Thanks!
 
As to what you should have on hand for injuries, it greatly depends on how you view your chickens. (treasured beloved pets, useful and fun pet/livestock, or livestock)

As to the damage, it looks to me like the feet feathers are growing in. One growing foot feather must have been bumped or banged against something (EASY for this age chicken to accidentally do, they haven't yet learned to be graceful), and that one drop of blood probably triggered all of the other chickens to go after her feet.

I have seen that happen before even in sweet peaceful flocks with plenty of space. The problem is those foot feathers are so easily damaged and any damage results in such bright red blood on a wiggling jerking foot.

Irresistible!

If you can make sure the risk of rebleeding is minimal, she can go back with the flock. If there is any risk of a rebleed, she might need to be put in a kennel out in the coop for a few days. (so everyone stays familiar with each other).
Thank you. It’s encouraging to know that it may just be normal chicken behavior. My chickens are definitely beloved pets. Like all chicken “moms”, I have grown very attached and my granddaughter is in love with them too. I checked on her again when I closed them in for the night and the bleeding has stopped. I will continue to soak her feet until they heal.
 
You might also pick up some Blu-kote. It's gentian violet, an anti-fungal and antiseptic. It's most useful property is as a camouflage when you wish to disguise raw, red wounds so the other chickens won't peck at them and make them worse. Also vet wrap which is a chicken proof wrap in case you need to ever bandage a foot.
 

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