Missing toe? Frostbite? *Gulp* Bumblefoot?

[caku]

I have a 1-yr-old Brahma rooster that has been walking funny for several months now, almost like he doesn't bend his knee on his left leg while he walks (kind of like he has a peg leg). We'd only had one other rooster before, who was a smaller breed and thought maybe that was just a funny strut for a larger breed rooster. I just recently learned about bumblefoot (yes, we're newbies) and after taking a good look at his foot I really don't know what his problem is. The problem is with the far right toe in the picture below. He does not have a nail on his toe. In the second picture, his foot has dirt on it - that is not a large spot on the same toe.

• Do you think he may have lost it in the winter? (We regularly had inches of snow on the ground with temps at -14 this winter).
• Does it LOOK like bumblefoot? If it were bumblefoot, and he has been walking really weird (like a peg leg) for a few months, would it already have spread and killed him by now? How fast does bumblefoot take to spread up the leg?

And this has been quite the ordeal - not only did a hen attack me while I was trying to wrangle this rooster - I'm still nursing that mark on the back of my hand! - I had to hold the roo while my 6 year old snapped the photos... Thank goodness for photo cropping!

 

[Eggcessive]

My guess is that he lost the toe due to frostbite. It looks like he has some scaly leg mites, which is treated by gently washing the legs with warm soapy water and a toothbrush once a week, and really rubbing oil of your choice (vaseline, cooking oil, castor oil) underneath the scales. It may take a couple of months to help, and spraying/cleaning out the coop is recommended.

 

[caku]

Oh my gosh, Thank you? I had no idea! I will get on that re: mites! Also, I'm glad you don't think it's bumblefoot!

 

[Eggcessive]

Other reasons for his limp could be a sprain, MS, viral arthritis, and gout. Since he has those feathered legs, it is hard to notice swelling, but you might check for any in the upper leg and joint.