Hen with bumblefoot and a crop issue

[Mrs.ChickChick]

This is a 3 year old hen. I did research and performed the bumble foot surgery on Henny, but couldn't find the main kernel. There was a small kernel that came off with the scab. Went back in the next day and still couldn't find it. Soaked both times in warm epsom salt bath, massaged/squeezed pad and poked around with tweezers, and finally packed wound with salt and triple antibiotic ointment, wrapped well with gauze pad and vet wrap. Her foot is still really swollen and I know there is more in there. The second time we made some incisions where we thought kernels might be, but no go. Lots of bleeding. I don't want to put her through any more digging around in there as she was obviously in pain while doing the surgery. She also seemed to have some trouble breathing because of the crop issue while laying down during the surgery. She did fine for about half an hour, then she started gurgling. Had to cut the surgery short because of this.

She had a crop issue about a month ago. Crop was very swollen. More research, either sour crop or impacted crop, couldn't tell for sure. No bad breath smell that I could tell. Crop did go down after I isolated her and withheld feed. Massaged crop daily, fed small amount of yogurt second day, then scrambled egg and yogurt third day. Mixed a little olive oil in with it. During her confinement she kept laying eggs! Poop looked normal. She seemed fine, doing normal chicken behavior. Finally let her back with the other girls and all was well for about a week. Now her crop is distended again but it doesn't seem to bother her and it goes down a lot by morning. I read on someone's chicken blog that sometimes older hens get tumors that can impede the crop from emptying completely and that there is nothing that can be done about that.

I would like to save her, but with 2 different health issues I wonder if culling her would be more humane. We recently got replacement pullets and need to process some of the older hens anyway. If we do process her can we still eat the meat since she has bumblefoot? Or since it's localized to her foot does it matter? Maybe use for pet food after cooking well? Please advise, this is really concerning me.

 

[kkowa]

if you do cull her yes you can eat her meat but not her foot because that is were the infection is. ive also heard of hens living well over 3 with tumors in their crop so its really up to you if she looks happy and is doing her chicken things leave her be. but its up too you what you want to do with her

 

[Mrs.ChickChick]

Thank you for your reply kkowa. No, we wouldn't eat the foot with the bumble foot, I agree. And would want to make sure it hasn't traveled up the leg. Just didn't know if the usual meat was safe. I've heard differing opinions. Anyone else want to weigh in?

One of the reasons we decided to keep chickens was to be self sustainable. Of course, they are now pets, but we know they are ALSO livestock. Just didn't want her meat to go to waste, if that makes any sense. She has given us great joy, she is very talkative to us, and was a wonderful egg layer. Still is for as old as she is.

 

[janinepeters]

I would put her down. Three years is not bad for a chicken, she's got health 2 issues, and bumblefoot surgery is painful. I guess it's okay to eat her if you are sure the infection has not gotten into her bloodstream (if it has, she would appear extremely ill). However, I will add that I personally would not eat her, because bumblefoot is usually caused by one of several nasty, difficult to treat bacteria, which I try to keep a distance from. If you decide to try to save her, be sure to always wash your hands after handling her.