Is this bumblefoot (looks more like bumble-leg...)

[Okayrj]

I feel awful about this. I've been working longer hours than usual the past two weeks, and with the end of DST that's meant I don't get home until the chickens are already asleep and I only see them briefly in the morning when I'm in a hurry. Until today, when I had some time and noticed that one of my roosters was limping and appeared to have a sore on his leg near the spur. He also seems generally lethargic.

I feel awful that something like this could happen and I didn't notice immediately, and I'm taking tomorrow off to do everything I can for the little guy. But I just wanted to make sure this IS bumblefoot, despite it not being on the FOOT exactly. Any thoughts or other tips outside of the usual Epsom salt soak, surgery, anti microbial + wrap that I should consider given the wounds location? Thank you so ouch

 

[Eggcessive]

It could be an injury, but also could be a skin cancer. I would paint it with Betadine daily or other disinfectant and watch it. Soaking in warm Epsom salts water could make it feel better. Could he have been fighting? Or gotten the spur caught on something?

 

[Okayrj]

It's possible, but I haven't noticed any fighting, and there's been no new introductions to the flock since I haven't been able to keep as close an eye on them. As you can see the leg is definitely swollen, but what's really worrying me is how lethargic he's being. When he was preparing to bed down an hour ago he was breathing really heavily and seemed to be drifting in and out of sleep, which is not something I've seen from a chicken before.

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you offer him some sugar water (1 tsp per cup) or electrolytes up to his beak? Watery chicken feed would be good as well. He may be hurting and not have gotten much to eat and drink today. Do you have another rooster? Does it look like he got his spur caught on something? Let us know how he is tomorrow, and try to get a better picture of the wound or whatever it is.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Please try not to feel bad, given the fact that you don't get home till after dark there's no way you could have seen this. Just take care of it the best you can, feeling guilty will do no good. These things happen. You're not a bad chicken tender. This stuff happens to all of us at one time of another.

 

[Okayrj]

He's doing way, way worse today. Just laying there, barely keeping his head up, in and out of consciousness. I got him to eat a little scrambled eggs this morning, then gave him three Epsom soaks over the day, and after the last one I attempted surgery, and cut out as much of the black part above the spur as I could. Antibiotic cream and bandaged him up, and now he's just laying in his cage indoors recovering. I'm going to try and give him some oats and water, but I think any eating he's going to do is going to be by dropper... not sure what to do for my guy, it's awful, he's been such a great rooster...

 

[BigBlueHen53]

See if he will eat some of his regular food if you soak it and make a mash out it, it will be far more nutritious than oatmeal. Also do you have any electrolytes or anything like that? Rooster Booster or Poultry Cell?

 

[Eggcessive]

Soaking his foot 3 times a day could put him over the edge. Soaking is not for weak chickens. While he is lethargic and not eating/drinking well, I would just spray his foot with saline and put some Betadine on it. Were you able to get another picture.

 

[Okayrj]

He was doing better at the time I was soaking it, I had read that you were supposed to soak it for 10min 2-3 times daily. No I haven't taken any more pictures, and it's bandaged now. But there's not much else to be seen that can't be seen in that picture.

 

[CombNWattles]

Have you considered antibiotics? The infection could be affecting the rest of his body, not just his leg.