Multiple chickens getting bumble foot! Why??

[Welsh Ducky]

In the past week three of my hens developed bumble foot, we are soaking all their feet in epsom salt, and pulled off the scab + got out gunk out of one, but it’s taking a lot of time to care for all three and I have no idea why so many got it at the same time! Our roosts or really smooth so they wouldn’t be getting splinters, and they have sand bars under the roosts that are cleaned frequently. The hens are free range too.
Any idea why three would have bumble, and what I can do to prevent this? How often should I soak their feet? Also if it would help shorten the recovery, how would I go about doing a “surgery” at home with a razor blade? We don’t have any bird vets near us.
Thanks!

 

[Kiki]

What do they walk on all day?
Is their roost up high...where they just have to jump down and land hard maybe?

 

[Welsh Ducky]

What do they walk on all day?
Is their roost up high...where they just have to jump down and land hard maybe?

They walk around in a big grassy field all day maybe some rocks by the little creek, nothing that should hurt them..their roost is kinda high, it has a ladder for them to get up but I don’t believe they use it to get down. Perhaps I could put straw in the bottom of their coop instead of sand, maybe that would help?

 

[viennaproto]

I would try straw or some sort of bedding, might be a bit softer on their feet

 

[centrarchid]

Can you post some pictures of the ground they walk on? I am not looking for rocks or other materials that perforate skin, rather I look for chronically moist surfaces with lots of decaying organic matter that supports bacteria that come into frequent contact with feet. My thinking is bumble foot has a lot in common with trench foot in humans and foot rot in animals like sheep and goats.

 

[viennaproto]

 

[Welsh Ducky]

Can you post some pictures of the ground they walk on? I am not looking for rocks or other materials that perforate skin, rather I look for chronically moist surfaces with lots of decaying organic matter that supports bacteria that come into frequent contact with feet. My thinking is bumble foot has a lot in common with trench foot in humans and foot rot in animals like sheep and goats.

Thanks! I will this morning and post them here. I put straw down in their coop yesterday so they’ll be jumping down on something soft now.

 

[Welsh Ducky]

Sorry some things happened over here and I wasn’t able to post. This is the ground the walk on, mostly the grass, the walk through that dirt to get out to their field but they aren’t constantly standing in anything muddy or nasty...and their coop has a thick straw floor

 

[Welsh Ducky]

The first hen that had bumble is ok now but the 2nd one we took care of and cut a big piece of bumble out of seems to have regenerated it in her foot..should we just cut again? I’m afraid of permanently hurting her foot. There’s another hen that we were soaking but it doesn’t seem to be doing anything it’s in the base of her foot and has come up between her toes. I’m afraid I’m not experienced enough to take care of this, as I’m not sure where I would even cut to see if we could get stuff out. I’ll post pictures in a few.

 

[Welsh Ducky]

Here’s the top of the 3rd hens foot, we haven’t cut her, only soaking. I’ll get a picture of the bottom of hers and the 2nd hens foot when I get some help.
Thanks, I just want to help my girls in the quickest way possible, this must be very painful and unfortunately I can’t get a vet..