Hoping to start a Bumblefoot general discussion here

[write2caroline]

How common is bumble foot and can anyone suggest ways to prevent it or other treatments?

Last year, I had one pullet with bumble foot and I treated it and soaked her a few times and it healed up and she is fine.

This year, I started checking and I have quite a few with bumble foot. I have treated several of them. With so many, it is hard to keep them inside and they are very good at getting off the medical tape so I have just been treating 2 at a time.

Does anyone know how it starts and any ways to prevent it or is it just par for the course?

Of the three I have treated so far: (This is the icky morbidly discusting part)
One had that cheesy like substance.
One had almost a hard pit like a corn almost
One had pussy white liquid

I am soaking with very warm water and epson salts, clearing the plug and pushing out the icky stuff (like that scientific description?) then packing with neosporin (the one not with pain med) and wrapping with medical tape - which I need something else because it comes off and I work hard to keep them wrapped well.

Just wondering what any of you have tried and just get some discussion going.

On the other thread someone suggested more litter for padding their coops when they jump down and I did thicken mine up.

Caroline

 

[dawg53]

Quote:
I use duct tape to wrap their feet, it wont come off. You'll need sharp scissors to cut through it to change the dressing. I have lowered the roosts inside the chickens houses and sanded the roosts using sandpaper. I havnt had any bumblefoot problems since. ETA: Spelling error.

 

[magicpigeon]

I've had one case. Her's was pretty much almost solid, cheesy, etc. ...yuck xD
I changed the bandages daily by wiping the foot in disinfectant, wrapping firmly in gauze then taping with medical tape. It took from 1-2 weeks, my memory isn't so clear, and if it helps it was a silkie, none of my other "normal" chickens get this problem

 

[purpletree23]

Something is causing the wounds on their feet and as soon as you get rid of that your bumblefoot cases should go away for the most part.

Just like dawg53 mentioned sand down your roosts. Wood splinters could be causing the numerous infections.

Use more shavings for a softer landing when they jump off the roost. I use 4 inches minimum.

How high are your roosts? Personally I like then to be 20 to 24 inches off the coop floor.

If they have a run check it for sharp objects. Get down to 'chicken' level and see what you can find.

Good luck

 

[write2caroline]

My run has sand mostly (Florida) and I will try raking it and seeing if I have anything irritating. My coops with higher roosts are about 20 inches up and the coops are up off the ground about 4 feet but we have ladders. I will take some sand paper to the roosts too. I had painted them. Sometimes my girls go ranging in the woods on the property. I am leaning towards the roosts though since I am thinking the majority of the bumble footed girls live in the same coop.

Any ointments of choice? I have been using tri poly and neosporin, I also heard someone used Prep H and I have bag balm but I have not used the latter two.

I will try the duck tape. Some of the girls are harder to catch so I have to wait until they go to bed and get them for treatments. I am going to get some vet tape too.

Caroline

 

[dawg53]

Quote:
You live just down the road from me, about 20-30 minutes. We have the same soil, same trees etc... We have sweet gum trees, oak, and pine trees. Pine cones and gumballs can be a source causing bumblefoot when the tiny 'spikes' break off into their footpad as they walk on them, causing infection. Short of cutting down all the huge trees in my yard, which I wont do, it's almost impossible to keep the yard free of gumballs. The lawn mower takes care of the pine cones. No matter how many times I rake the yard, dead gumballs fall off the trees. Windy days and thunderstorms even blow them off the trees onto to the other side of the house...soooo, I just dont worry about it anymore.
I've also come to learn that just because there's a dark round scab on the bottom of their feet doesnt necessarily mean there's an infection. I've cut a many of them open and found nothing but blood. I've put some of my chickens through alot of stress conducting minor surgery when it wasnt needed. Sometimes the scabs just disappear on their own.
If I see one of my chickens limping (usually it's one of my heavier breeds)...it's normally bumblefoot and I' ll do the surgery and remove the infection. Another way to tell if it truly bumblefoot besides limping is if the area around the scab is swollen or has redness...time to do surgery and go in and get it out. Of course tricide neo works but takes longer to clear it up. I always use neosporin ointment, it an antibiotic, prep H doesnt have any antibiotics in it, that's why I dont use it. It might be used for shrinking the incision area or the hole where the infection was located. I prefer the antibiotic ointment, the chicken will get its foot dirty (stepping in poop, getting wet etc) and I want an antibiotic there as a barrier to protect it from further or more harmful bacteria.

 

[Sjisty]

We are also in Florida. When there are a lot of sweat gum balls on the ground, I see an increase in bumblefoot. I try to keep them raked up, but with 3 acres it isn't always easy. I use vet wrap once I clean out the "bumble," keeping it on for a couple of days. If the foot looks bad, I soak them in Espom salts, but otherwise I just remove the scab and the bumble, spray it with Vetericyn, and keep it covered for a couple of days. That seems to work very well for me.

By the way, I cut the vet wrap about 4 inches long and an inch wide. Then I cut part of it in about 1/2 inch strips, not cutting all the way to the end, to leave a solid inch-wide piece to go on the pad of the foot. I wrap the attached two strips around and between the toes and the ankle. There's no way they can get it off by themselves! The bandage looks like a sideways "V" by the time I cut it, with the bottom of the V for the pad of the foot, and the two arms going around toes, etc.

 

[numamahen]

I came across this blog with pics & a video while trying to solve what is wrong with my young roo......

http://successwithpoultry.blogspot.com/2009/09/bumblefoot-chicken.html


My roo though doesn't seem to have a wound but his left foot is deformed & he won't put any pressure on it. See pics below. I am trying to decide if I should start soaking it but don't want to introduce heat to it if it is an injury..... Can bumblefoot start this way?

 

[artsyrobin]

have you read this thread? A non-surgical option
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=303829