Hen has swollen foot, limp, no bumblefoot spot - advice please.

[Fletch83]

Hi all,

This morning my EE hen was reluctant to come out of the coop, and when she did come out, she sat down in the coop and did not eat first thing like she normally does. I went out to check on her a few minutes later and I noticed that when she stood up, she was holding one leg up against her body. I made her take a few steps and she was noticeably limping.

I picked her up to examine her legs and I noticed that one foot was indeed swollen. The foot looks the most swollen on the bottom pad, around her back toe, and around her ankle. I have dealt with bumblefoot before, which I know can cause similar swelling, but have always in that case seen the telltale black spot on the bottom of the foot. On this hen's foot, I could see no bumblefoot spot, no redness, no cuts, bruises, lesions, or otherwise - just the swelling.

I suppose it is possible that she sprained or hurt her foot in another way but I am always concerned about possible infection. Is it possible for bumblefoot to occur without the bumblefoot spot? How would I know to treat for infection otherwise? Should I just soak the foot? I have no antibiotics on hand other than human-dose cipro. I do have epsom salts, antibacterial solution, and that treatment for koi fish that you can use for bumblefoot. Not sure how to best treat it since I am not sure what the cause is, and even more concerned that she did not show interest in eating. She was fine yesterday - moving around the yard all evening.

Thanks in advance!

 

[GitaBooks]

She could have stepped on a thorn, gotten stung by a bee, or she could have suffered a break or strain from jumping down from a high height.

I think it is possible for bumblefoot to occur without the spot, but it may be best to try treating for something else. You could try soaking the foot in warm water or perhaps lancing it. You could soak it in epson salts to try and help.

I'm not expert, but I do hope this helps.

Best of luck!

 

[TalkALittle]

I wouldn't lance it. If it turns out there's no infection then you'll have made a hole in your hen's foot for nothing. I'd soak it twice a day in the Epsom salts and apply some antibacterial solution to it and wait a day to see if it improves on its own.

Separate her just for feeding and offer her some feed made into a mash with some mealworms or BOSS mixed in to make it enticing.

Check your roost for any overlooked hazards and put some extra bedding down where they land when they jump off to absorb the impact. Watch them at roosting time to see if there's any new squabbling that might have resulted in her being knocked off.

If it hasn't gotten better in 24 hours or gets worse then I'd think about taking additional measures.

 

[Fletch83]

Thanks! I definitely have plenty of epsom salt and antibacterial solution. I was concerned about potential infection since she was acting generally unwell in that she wasn't eating when I first let her out. Unfortunately I am by now a pro at soaking chicken feet so I will definitely start with that.

 

[Fletch83]

When I got home from work today she was up and about her run, which is an improvement from this morning when she was sitting down to avoid walking on her foot. I soaked her foot in epsom salts and then an antibiotic solution. I examined her foot all over once it was clean, and I still cannot see a bumblefoot scab or any cuts or punctures. The foot is most swollen around the ankle and between the toes. The pad of her foot is clean and pink. I'm inclined to say it probably isn't bumblefoot, since that gets worse over time, and she was not limping as bad this evening as she was this morning. Sprayed her foot down with antibiotic spray just to be on the safe side and put her back in the run versus letting her run around free ranging on the foot. Still hard to tell if infection might be present versus a sprain or maybe bee sting. I couldn't really tell if the foot was noticeably hot to the touch. Hopefully I'm doing everything right!

ETA she is eating now and she wasn't this morning...so perhaps is feeling better overall.

 

[lovechickens23]

Hi sorry to bother u my rooster has swollen feet I don't think it's Bumble feet because there's no scab or anything he's had it for a few months now I've been trying to soak in his feet with warm water and epsom salt nothing's working what else can I do please help he eats and drinks fine and he goes to the bathroom fine I feed my chickens layer feed and I feed my chickens healthy food no scraps he has no scar no scratch or cut marks on his feet so I don't know what else caused his speech swell up

 

[GitaBooks]

Hi sorry to bother u my rooster has swollen feet I don't think it's Bumble feet because there's no scab or anything he's had it for a few months now I've been trying to soak in his feet with warm water and epsom salt nothing's working what else can I do please help he eats and drinks fine and he goes to the bathroom fine I feed my chickens layer feed and I feed my chickens healthy food no scraps he has no scar no scratch or cut marks on his feet so I don't know what else caused his speech swell up

Poor boy.
I've heard that layer feed isn't good for roosters. Could it be causing this? The access nutrients? I'm not sure, I'm not a chicken health expert. : )
How old is he? I know my rooster is pretty old and his feet aren't as young as they use to be. My older hens also have some joint problems, they have trouble jumping off their perches and sometimes need help down.

Hopefully this link helps: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/swollen-feet-on-hen.667080/

Best of luck!