HELP! Infection or......

[Dixiechick101]

Hello, I have posted befoe about my Brahma rooster plucking the feathers off his legs and feet. Unless one of the ladies was doing it to him. I covered his feet in Blu Kote hoping that would help. They were looking better but now they look infected! I have been soaking his feet in Epsom salt water. Saturating his feet and legs in Neosporin wrapping them in gauze and then wrapping them in vet wrap. Still no improvement. Is anyone familiar with this or have any other ideas as to what it is or what I can do to help him? Poor guy!

 

[Ebony Rose]

Roosters get a red streak up their legs when they're fertile too.

 

[ackie]

I'm no expert, but I wonder if it wouldn't be better to let it breathe than keeping it wrapped? Is it my screen or doe the redness travel up the back of his leg too, where there is no visible damage? Poor guy, hopefully someone with more experience has some input. Good luck with him!

My first thought was it being too moist as well, but also never dealt with this before. Are you drying them off after the soak? The neosporin would trap that moisture in, I'd think, and could be part of the problem?

 

[Ebony Rose]

Chickens heal better when their wounds are not covered.

 

[LateBirdFarms]

You're using the ointment with NO pain reliever, right? I can't help with any idea on what to do if t is infection spreading, but if he were mine, I would start by crating him with his legs unbandaged with a towel or something similar instead of bedding to keep the detritus from sticking to the open areas. And then I'd be right here doing what your doing, looking for a someone with experience!

 

[LateBirdFarms]

Roosters get a red streak up their legs when they're fertile too.

I had no idea! Looks like I learned something too!

 

[ackie]

I had no idea! Looks like I learned something too!

Same. That explains my alpha roos legs. I would have thought it was like frostbite or something except I'm in the South.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

red streak is normal. However he does look to have leg mites. I wouldnt bandage them. Just treat the mites .

 

[Ebony Rose]

That’s interesting I did not know that. Does it look similar to this, do you know?

Yeah, especially the back of his legs. Mites in his feather follicles would drive him to pluck and pull his own feathers; the equivalent to a human digging a hole in their flesh to scratch a chigger bite. I'd surely oil his legs and feet, won't hurt him at all, but would suffocate any mites that have bored into him. If he's got mites, then they've all got them so might as well do a spa day with leg and foot massages for all members of your flock; can 'dust' the roost with permethrin as well to kill anything hiding out in there. I wouldn't separate him from the flock. The images you shared show a lot of residual blu-kote (which makes the whole thing look worse than it probably is).

 

[Dixiechick101]

red streak is normal. However he does look to have leg mites. I wouldnt bandage them. Just treat the mites .

I thought mites would present as excessive scaling? I have never dealt with that before. Ty