Clumps of poo stuck to feet--removing it made them bleed!

[NewHawaiiChick]

Hi all,
My coop got really wet when we had heavy rains a couple of weeks ago. I just noticed that a few of the birds have big clumps of poo/dirt/straw stuck to the end of their toes. I held one and soaked the clumps with a wet washcloth and picked away at the clump. However, when the clump came off of one toes the end of the claw came with it and now it's bleeding pretty bad. The other toe just looked a little bloody, but now I don't know what to do! I feel so bad b/c I think I may have made it worse?? Do I need to remove the clumps? Stop the bleeding? Ughhhhh....

 

[mulewagon]

Maybe you could soak their toes longer, to soften the clumps up more? Then I would put some peroxide or Blue-Kote on to kill germs.

 

[teach1rusl]

If you want the poo/clumps off, definitely soak (warm bath water temp) them in a tub or the sink, and work at the clumps (under water) with mild dishwashing liquid and your fingers, or possibly a very soft bristled tooth brush. But give up on the wash cloth and picking. For the ones with bleeding toes, if you soak their feet, maybe some epsom salts in the water, followed by some blue kote. Cornstarch can help stop the bleeding if needed.