Greetings from Pleasant Hill, CA

[Allison Lloyd]

I've been using this site based in my home town for 5 years. But now I need to ask a question about bumble foot, so I am officially a new member.
Happy summer,
Allison
(Started with 9 chickens 5 years ago, gave 2 away because my coop was built for 6, 1 killed by my puppy the next week, 2 died in the winter 2 years later [dug up the coop, laid new floor, disinfected everything], and a young chicken appeared behind my house last year and the neighbors thought it was mine - posted a sign on trail and nobody claimed her.) OK, so can you do the math? How many chickens do I have now?

 

[weimarmama]

&

from Alabama. Glad you joined us. 5? But if you're counting in chicken math, I have no clue lol.
Good luck with the bumble foot

 

[JulieNKC]

Math is easy. You have not enough chickens.

 

[sumi]

Hello and welcome to BYC!

 

[AZBootsie]

Hello and Welcome!! There is a great thread on bumble foot with a debridement tutorial. Have you checked there for answers to your questions?? Will edit to post the link as soon as I find it.




https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/236649/bumblefoot-surgery-with-pics-and-how-to

 

[Allison Lloyd]

Yes, thank you for posting this. I have read every bumble foot link and post possible at this point, I think. So many hours spent reading about bumble foot and handling my chickens today. I just can't get the plug out of some of them. I have found reports that Vetericyn and Epson soaking might just heal it without surgery. I might have just caught it early on some of them. Plus, some reports of 8 weeks of healing with daily dressing changes (more math: 4 chickens x 2 feet each minus one foot that doesn't look infected...but maybe = how many feet to treat every day?) and other reports of healing after changing the dressing every two days for a week to two.

 

[1muttsfan]

Hi and welcome to BYC from northern Michigan

I am more interested in why you have had bumblefoot - it is fairly uncommon, and do I understand you have had multiple cases?

 

[MelanieR]

Welcome to BYC.

 

[Kevin565]

 

[Allison Lloyd]

Yes, I agree with finding the cause. I inspected the coop and run for anything sharp and I just don't see anything. Today I will actually feel around inch by inch. They free range in our backyard, so lots to look for. Yeah, with four of five having it in both feet something seems amiss! My only other guess is that instead of roosting on the boards, they might actually be down on the wire underneath (placed there so they would not scratch around in the dropping board area).Since they are bigger, I think I'll remove it. I've seen them there on occasion at night when I've peeked in to make sure they all came in before shutting up the coop/run.

The run floor is made of decomposed granite. I scrape it once a month - more if it seems messy. We add more DG yearly to stay above the underground wire fencing to discourage burrowing animals from getting inside. The only wet spot is where we dump the automatic waterer. Yesterday, I sprayed a mix of bleach and water all throughout the coop and run. Today, when I remove that wire from the roost structure, I'll scrub and disinfect the roost boards better.

They all act so normal, so hopefully I've caught it in the early stage. My yearling shows completely healthy feet. As for the rest of them, at least for a while, their feet will be bandaged to avoid any bacteria contact as they continued to be treated and heal.

Thanks for concern. Comments/insight/ suggestions welcome.
Allison