Dirty feet?

[Magda12]

Newbie to chickens! I have 10 chicks who are 7 weeks old today. They have been living outside in their coop/run full time for two weeks. I was just letting them go at the grass (10x10 run plus the space under the coop) but I was starting to get worried about it being muddy. So I put down a giant bag of tractor supply fine pine shavings and some grass clippings.

I also recently started continuous fermenting their food (I am familiar with lacto fermentation for human consumption). They seem to like it, they don't go crazy or anything, but I have found that they like to walk in the food dish It hasn't been an issue, until today. I noticed one had a bunch of food gunked on her feet, it's still there, on the tops)

I also notice another walking around with poo and shavings stuck to her foot, but it appeared to have come off. This didn't happen (that I saw) before I put the shavings down.

Is it necessary for their feet to be clean (I mean, I know they're not CLEAN)? Is there some point at which I have to wrangle a chicken and wash off her feet? Also, did I do the right thing in the run or should I have left it go to dirt? Anything else I should put down?

 

[igorsMistress]

Nope, you don’t need to do a thing. You can give them a puddle to wade in once in a while, it helps get stuff off. If not, it’ll come off eventually. There’s really nothing wrong with a little mud either, as long as they won’t sink in and get stuck in it.

 

[Magda12]

Great, thank you! I like the hands-off approach I have a small galvanized tub that I put.like 2 inches of water in, they are completely disinterested. The only thing they really ever seem interested in is scrambled eggs

 

[rosemarythyme]

Generally speaking, dirty (or poopy) feet aren't an issue. Only thing I'd keep an eye out for is if mud/poop clods start accumulating around the toes, that don't seem to go away. Not a common issue but every so often someone posts photos of chicks that somehow have accumulated a lot of poop around the toes that's hard to remove and it starts burning the skin, so that's something you want to avoid.

 

[igorsMistress]

Great, thank you! I like the hands-off approach I have a small galvanized tub that I put.like 2 inches of water in, they are completely disinterested. The only thing they really ever seem interested in is scrambled eggs

Try a puddle on the ground in some loose soil so it won’t cake on their feet. If you have clay that’s going to stick even more.

 

[zenstarling]

oh don’t you just love the walking in the mash bowl routine mine do the same thing, but I noticed this was much messier in the brooder on shavings. now out in the run (mine are also 7 weeks) if they’ve got something to scratch around in, the feet clean themselves. I usually throw them a heap of compost and fresh greens (ie weeds, if you know your local edibles) daily. they go NUTS for it and work at the piles to scratch them down to nothing. they eat the greens. they eat all the bugs. and stay engaged and busy. it’s a win.