Odd growth on hen's foot - removed - hole in foot now....

[Wynette]

This for sure isn't an emergency, and I am kicking myself now for not taking pics.

I have a hen that's about 1 1/2 years old. I was going through that pen & deciding who I would use for breeding, and looking at each hen very closely. I looked at this hen's foot, and HOLY COW - saw a growth in the webbing between her toes...it was huge, like the size of a large pencil eraser...a bit larger. It was a dark gray.

Before picking her up, I watched her walk, and she had no limp or any issue whatsoever with the foot.

Then, picked her up & examined it closely. SHAME ON ME for not getting pics...again, I'm just kicking myself. Anyway, this thing was hard, but not quite as hard as a beak or toenail. The weird this is that it was pointy, so like a tiny little mountain in shape. Anyway, I wiggled it a bit to see if it hurt her....and noticed it seemed....well....not solid, sort of loose, almost. So I wiggled some more, and the thing popped right out! It left a hole almost 1/2" in diameter! I quickly dropped the growth as it frankly sort of grossed me out.

Then, I inspected the hole, and noted there was black in the bottom, so started picking at it...then flipped her over and noted she had a black spot on the bottom of her foot. That, too, was sort of loose & wiggled freely. So, I pulled it lightly and it came right out. My gal now has a hole, almost 1/2" in diameter, clear through the webbing between 2 toes. After I inspected it thoroughly, rinsed it out and decided she needed no antiseptic on it, I put her back and began looking for the growth so I could get a pic of it, but never did find it. Ack.

Any ideas on what this may have been? There was no blood, and the tissue was not open/fresh/pinky looking, it was dry, just as normal foot skin would be. I got to wondering about bumblefoot, although I definitely would have noticed if I had a gimpy hen. The other odd thing. When I was inspecting her, I looked at her other foot for comparison, and THAT foot ALSO has a black growth on the bottom of it, but nothing coming out the top. I left that alone so could definitely get a pic of that later.

Is it possible that she stepped on something and her body's immune system kicked in & built up some gunk that later hardened around it? I just have no clue on this one! Man, I really wish I'd have taken a picture...

 

[Terri O]

It was probably a bumble infection that (luckily) hardened itself off. Do a search for Bumble foot--there is a lot to read! You could put some triple antibiotic in the hole and bandage it up...but maybe not necessary since it seemed to all come out. I had a hen that did that too and after having previously done the foot surgery myself I was glad, to say the least! She is fine to this day! Terri O (PS) I would watch that other foot though!

 

[Wynette]

Hey, Terri - thanks for replying. My very first thought was bumblefoot, but this gal NEVER was sore on the foot, which is what confused me. I checked everyone else in the pen, and no one else has the issue. Now I'm beginning to wonder if it's just her, some weird genetic thing since she has a large black spot on her other foot...OR, perhaps it's just a simple "in the wrong place at the wrong time" thing and she did step on something with BOTH feet that got her infected?

Just so odd that she has never taken a lame step. Yep - for sure I'll be watching that other foot closely!

 

[Snack Giver]

My biggest hen has one of these on her foot too. I'm worried.

 

[Wynette]

Snack, I WISH I had taken pics. I usually do, but this just was so freaky I just wanted it GONE after removing. I'll get some pics of the hole left after I removed the growth and the bottom of her other foot, where she has a black/very firm thing, too, just like in the first foot that had the large growth.

 

[charsbird]

The webbing between the toes can form a little pocket underneath. Some kind of dirt balls when wet or muddy, and dries and grows with more layers. I've seen it online, but I can't remember where. I always check my girls' toes and dig it out with my finger before it can harden.

 

[Wynette]

Quote:
That's interesting! I honestly have too many birds to check feet like that often enough, but it's super interesting to me, nonetheless! I would have thought it would bother them, but my gal has never taken a lame step.

 

[Snack Giver]

My biggest bird (with huge feet) has a peppercorn looking thing or growth or maybe dirt ball stuck in the webbing on one foot. We noticed it after giving her feet a wash last weekend. It didnt seem to bother her that we almost dug it out with my wife's finger nail.. I got scared and didnt do it any further. It very well may just be dirt or some build-up because it is it is in the exact corner of her foot webbing on top, where there is a natural hole for stuff to fall into. She was not in pain. I am now going to re-check it now that I have studdied bumble foot. Either way I am going to soak her again and get that out. if it needs, I will fill with neosporin. Hopefully it is a dirt buildup.

 

[speckledhen]

Wynette, it was most likely bumblefoot. My own June had a plug come right out the top of her foot like a pencil eraser sticking up. Same thing exactly like you described-it left a huge hole. The infection incapsulated and contained itself and lifted out of her foot. I just packed June's with antibiotic ointment and wrapped it with a bandage for a few days and it was fine.

 

[Wynette]

Quote:
Cyn - WOW! That's amazing - di dyour June ever take a lame step? My gal never did - I for sure would have noticed if she did. There were no "raw" edges to the hole whatsoever. It was just like regular foot skin on the inside of the hole, so all I did was rinse it out to make sure all that was there came out, and that was it; I didn't do anything else. But, it does sound like what you describe.

My gal has another "plug" looking thing in the same location on her OTHER foot...I supose it's likely that maybe she did step into something sharp, although that pen rarely freeranges and we keep the farm picked up, but you just never know. So weird! I thought bumblefoot was quite painful to them, but again, my gal has never favored that foot/leg whatsoever.