Chicks and infected toes...

[Critter Crazed]

Hi everyone. I just noticed that two of my silkies have infected toes. I noticed Ivy's (chicken) toe first so I cleaned it out with peroxide and anti biotic cream a few times but it doesn't seem to help. Should I even bother or will the toes heal on their own?

Some info if you need it.

1) What type of bird , age and weight.
-Silkies, 8 weeks old.

2) What is the behavior, exactly.
-Act completely normal. Nothing seems to be wrong.

3) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
-No I don't even think they know their toes are infected.

4) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
-They are housed in their coop with free access to the run. I had a roost that was way too high for them. I have now lowered it. Maybe they hurt it while jumping from the roost?

5) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
-Chick starter still and plain water. I occassionally give them treats like tomatoes, cucumbers, crackers, graham crackers, hot dog buns.

6) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
-I haven't noticed any abnormal droppings but I haven't looked for their droppings anyways. Didn't think it necessary for an infected toe.

7) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
-I squirted peroxide and tried to see if any pus would come out of Ivy's toe. Nothing. It's just really swollen. I'm really confused. Then I rubbed anti biotic cream on it. I didn't do anything to Gwen's (the other chicken) toe.

8 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
-I don't think there's a chicken vet around here so I think I would have to cure the toes myself.

9) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
-No picture, I'm sorry.

Ivy's looks like a swollen toe and then Gwen's looks like a normal toe but a little white.

10) Describe the housing/bedding in use
-I have them in the coop with access to the run. Bedding in the coop is hay. In the run it's just dirt with hay strewn about from the coop.


Should I continue to clean their toes or should I leave them to heal by themselves? I will, no matter what, clean their toes if I notice any lameness. I don't right now. I don't know what I'd look for.... limping? Not hopping up on the roost?
The toes infected are both the top toes that hardly touch the ground. Odd coincidence.

Am I just being an overly concerned chicken mama again? :rolleyes

 

[Camelot Farms]

Here's a friendly bump

 

[Critter Crazed]

Thank you!

I just don't know if I should do anything or just wait and see if the toes heal. Has anyone ever had a chicken die from an infected toe?

 

[Critter Crazed]

Someone? Anyone? Please enlighten me if I am being completely stupid about worrying about an infected toe. But I am worried. Should I treat it like bumblefoot?

I've googled and researched infected chicken toes but still don't know if I am overreacting or what.

...

 

[Camelot Farms]

Oh dear....seems like we are at at a loss for this one.

If it were me, I would just keep a daily check on the toes, watching for pus, limping etc.

If you can get them to let you soak the feet in some epsom salts, that wouldnt hurt.

Take a quick check of your coop and the roosts and see if they are getting hung up anywhere when they are moving around.

If you see open spots on the feet where drainage is occuring, I would treat that with some Wound Kote or an antibiotic cream.

Good luck!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Okay one of the birds has a swollen toe, the other has a toe that is white. What makes you think the white toe is infected? Can you take a photo?

From your description it sounds like the 5th toe on both birds. Are you sure the swollen toe isn't actually a double toe? That sometimes happens with polydactyly birds.

 

[Critter Crazed]

Thank you Camelot Farms and Sonoran Silkies.

I will keep a close eye on the toes.

Sonoran the white toe on Gwen is also a bit swollen but not too much so I just figured infection. I don't know what else it could be?

Ivy, the one with the really swollen toe, did have an extra 6th toe when she was hatched. It wasn't a full toe, more like a lump with a claw coming out. And it WAS on the same toe that is swollen. I have noticed the 6th toe is actually gone now.. I checked and I can't find it. Do you think it... fell off or ripped off and got infected? Or just kind of combined into the 5th toe?

I do have pictures I took yesterday. They are not the best and I have to upload them still. I'll try to do that later today.
I couldn't get one of Gwen's. It's just way to hard she has so much more feathers on her feet.

Thank you you guys. I'll just continue to keep a close eye on them and look out for open wounds.

Edited to say: I would never be able to soak their feet LOL. If I need to I will but if I don't need to then I won't put them through the stress. Unless you really think I should.