hens keep getting bumblefoot,why?

[silkiemother]

I haven't seen a single person from Wenatchee on here,everyone is super far away

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

My experiences with bumblebees foot is zero. We use gravel base in my shed.

I haven't seen a single person from Wenatchee on here,everyone is super far away

Where is that?

 

[snow5164]

 

[silkiemother]

in washington and is sand maybe a better idea or just plain dirt?it might take a while to do the plain dirt...wait...could it be the tiny shards of glass from the mirror that was broken and leaning up against the area before we turned it into a coop?

 

[Kathy Golla]

It’s probably that river rock. Plantar dermatitis is a type of bumblefoot too. It comes from bruising of the footpad. Gotta look at all of your surfaces.
Check to make sure your roosts and ladder don’t have splinters.
Are your roosts thin round branches rather than 2x4’s laid on the flat side?That can do it too.

 

[katztoy]

Are your roosts round? small? I had some round roosts at one point and kept getting bumble foot. After some research I switched to 2x4's and they roost on the 4" side, I have not had bumble foot since. It's been a couple of years now.

 

[Kat2141]

Are your roosts round? small? I had some round roosts at one point and kept getting bumble foot. After some research I switched to 2x4's and they roost on the 4" side, I have not had bumble foot since. It's been a couple of years now.

I had round and 2x4's available to my girls and all of them prefer the 2x4 on the flat side. They also all use a ramp to go to the floor. Even the chicks that hatched here have been using the ramp ever since they started going up to the roosts.

 

[katztoy]

Well my theory is out the window hmmm... I’ll have to ponder if I did anything different. I hope you figure it out.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

in washington and is sand maybe a better idea or just plain dirt?it might take a while to do the plain dirt...wait...could it be the tiny shards of glass from the mirror that was broken and leaning up against the area before we turned it into a coop?

If there is broken pieces of mirror/glass and they have access to that area - then that would make more sense. "Bumblefoot" is basically an infection caused by the staphylococcus bacteria which enters the chicken's system through a cut, scratch, injury or irritated area on the foot. So yeah...tiny shards of glass could cut, puncture or become embedded in the foot allowing infection to set in.

 

[Kat2141]

Well my theory is out the window hmmm... I’ll have to ponder if I did anything different. I hope you figure it out.

Katztoy, I was agreeing with you on using the 2x4's on the flat side. My girls prefer that and they have been fine, too, like yours. (I'm not the OP).

I would think if there is old broken glass, like the OP mentioned, that is a very good possibility. I had also heard that damage from jumping down onto a hard surface could cause bumblefoot, that is why I mentioned the way mine like their ramps.