Is this bumblefoot? What to do, hen limps very badly!

[KranK]

Oh dear. Sounds infectious and dangerous. Can you get a necropsy done?

where did you get them? Do they free range?

Yeah they free range (except now, cuz its winter and almose all time beneath 0 degrees celcius. I mean the preavious dead ones died like 6 months ago, so i doubt it's infectious (and they were from the "older generation", before the new hens arrived. No necropsy cuz we got rid of the corpses :/. One that died very quickly and out of nowhere (was acting normal and in the morning i found her lying still under the roost, she died after a few hours) got necropsy and it was some kind of a virus the vet said. 4 other hens had suffered same symptoms and died very quickly (in a few days). It was about 6 months ago too. The skinny ones i was talking about were getting weaker and weaker long time, like 2-3 months. But all of them suffered limping and one had veeery swollen leg, just like a baloon. So i doubt it's the same thing as this hen has. What worries me more is that just 15 minutes ago i noticed one hen sitting on the ground and when i approached her she was limping just like the one the post is about! But there was no scab or anything on the pad.... I locked them in the coop thinking it might be from coldness (its 0 degree C right now). The coop floor is concrete , no bedding (gramps never used bedding and he kept chickens veery long time). The water in the pot there doesn't freeze.

 

[SulkyBantam]

some kind of a virus

Can you ask what virus? That would be very helpful.


I suggest quarantining the hen at least for now.

 

[KranK]

Can you ask what virus? That would be very helpful.


I suggest quarantining the hen at least for now.

Well, as i said these were different symptoms, and that was long ago. He wasn't sure what virus but gave us some powder to dissolve in water and spray the coop with it two times. We did it and no hen has died from same symptoms as those 6 (these that died very quickly). I may have written it messy so lemme correct. The limping ones (3 i think) that got skinnier weren't necropsed. Now im confused if i should try the ichthammol oinment. Can it be because coldness of concrete floor? Im going to check how cold it is.

 

[SulkyBantam]

The limping ones (3 i think) that got skinnier weren't necropsed.

If this happens again, try to get them necropsied.

concrete

What concrete?

What are they fed with?

 

[KranK]

If this happens again, try to get them necropsied.

What concrete?

What are they fed with?

I mean the floor in the coop is concrete and no bedding. They get fed wheat and chicken feed + some scraps sometime. May it be because of vitamin d (the one u get from sun) deficiency? They are closed in coop because of freezing temperatures now. They get light from the window but you know, it's not as much as outside.

 

[SulkyBantam]

chicken feed

Layers pellets?

They are closed in coop because of freezing temperatures now.

Is the coop heated then?

I mean the floor in the coop is concrete and no bedding

I suggest bedding, hard flooring can actually cause bumblefoot.

 

[KranK]

Layers pellets?

Is the coop heated then?

I suggest bedding, hard flooring can actually cause bumblefoot.

We have never used bedding and i don't remember having bumblefoot. In fact all of our hens when getting off the roost are going in front of the door and jump and land outside on dirt (and when they are closed we get them off the roost by hand cuz the coop is builded in such a way they would hit the wall , and so they don't want to jump except when they are about to lay an egg before opening). Coop isn't heated, it's pretty small and hens generate enough heat so it's warmer than outside (temperatures in the noon are from -5 to 0 celcius in winter). Water don't freeze there. The feed isn't pellets, but it's for layers. I think you can get this in pelletted form too but we get it in form of crushed grains and there is soy too.

 

[KranK]

Should I wait and see what happens with the two limping ones (and should i let them roost, or put them in the nests?), or do something? If so what should i do?

 

[SulkyBantam]

Should I wait and see what happens with the two limping ones (and should i let them roost, or put them in the nests?), or do something? If so what should i do?

I suggest quarantining them at once.

Yes, do purchase Vitamin D. Very important for the whole flock!


I also very strongly recommend bedding. Straw especially. It is a very important insulator and keeps them warm and clean, if that is possible for you?

 

[KranK]

I suggest quarantining them at once.

Yes, do purchase Vitamin D. Very important for the whole flock!


I also very strongly recommend bedding. Straw especially. It is a very important insulator and keeps them warm and clean, if that is possible for you?

Is there any food that i could give them that has vitamin D (When i get next pack of feed i'll check if it contains it). About bedding - possibility is probably true, but i wouldn't have a place to put it when changing it. In Poland we can't put pooped bedding in the bins and i don't own a field and garden is small, so in 4-5 months I already gathered manure for it. The question is how often would i need to throw away the bedding (the one NOT under the roost, so the cleaner one). I clean under the roost weekly, or one time in 2 weeks when it's cold and winter.