A couple of years ago, I posted what should be an obvious item of care we should give our flocks. It had occurred to me that I was completely taking for granted my flocks' feet. I would venture to guess most people with chickens do too. We just think chicken feet are tough and take care of themselves.
I recommend regular foot inspections. I get down on my knees and bring the chicken toward me and with her head between my legs, I lift one foot, then the other, inspecting the bottoms as well as the toe nails.
I've found pebbles as large as a centimeter and a half lodged into the dimples between the toes on the foot pads. I've discovered early bumblefoot when it was relatively easy to treat, and nails that any amount of digging and scratching were not being worn down and were growing way too long for a chicken to walk properly.
Bumblefoot is a hidden disease. Often the chicken doesn't limp or act like her feet hurt. Only periodic inspections can catch these things before serious damage or even death occurs. I recommend it highly.
