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Hey turkey people! @dheltzel @Auroradream26 Do you think my Tom has bumblefoot? One of toes looked a little fatter than the rest on the roost, so I took a look at his feet. They look like they have poo caked on them, but I think he just has thick feet with tough callouses, because he is such a big boy now. I did soak his feet in Epsom salts to see if that would soften or remove anything. I think it just kept me up later.
I was inspecting feet the other night because I noticed my one Cali Gray had a case of swollen (bumblefoot). She had it on both feet, but only one was puffy. I soaked her feet last night in Epsom salts and used some Prid drawing salve on a gauze pad. By this morning, one of her gauze pads was off.Soaked again tonight and used some Vertericyn spray. I did excise some of the corn from the bad one, reapplied the drawing salve and bandaged her up. I'm glad I have time to give them TLC.
Tomorrow is my birthday, and I'm excited because I've been asking for a chainsaw. There are a lot of fallen trees in our woods and I'd love to be able to clear them.![]()
It could be bumble foot. The fastest way to fix it is surgery. Have someone hold him and use tweezers and a scalpel to remove the corn then patch him up. If your tom has a swollen tow, it's possible that he jumped down from something a bit hard and broke it. Adam did that last year and healed up just fine. His toe was always a little big then. He'll be fine
And happy birthday! I hope you get that chainsaw!
I've never had a Biel go broody, or even sit for a few hours to "test drive". A few Welbars have gone broody, but they have been very easy to break. I have a lavender Am broody now and she has been moved twice to different pens and still sits in an empty nest box all day. I might give her some male legbar chicks to see if she can care for them or just wants to sit on eggs.Just got a couple, right? Haha! Did you get a variety pack, or specifically order all of those breeds?
That is very tempting, but I am going to wait for the Brabanters. I counted and I believe I still have 27 chicks that are growing up. I have a friend who wants a few females and maybe a Roo, and I'd like to have some more layers for myself, since the broody virus is strong here (4 right now that need breaking). Still not sure how many are Roos yet, but I think I will know in the next 2 weeks.
Wanted to let you know, the best broody by far has been the Bielefelder. Although they are quiet and gentle, she is very good at protecting the chicks. She is the only chicken who is still watching them during the day. I can tell she is near done, but I will definitely let her brood again in the future. The Wellbar is also an excellent brooder.
I've never had a Biel go broody, or even sit for a few hours to "test drive". A few Welbars have gone broody, but they have been very easy to break. I have a lavender Am broody now and she has been moved twice to different pens and still sits in an empty nest box all day. I might give her some male legbar chicks to see if she can care for them or just wants to sit on eggs.
It could be bumble foot. The fastest way to fix it is surgery. Have someone hold him and use tweezers and a scalpel to remove the corn then patch him up. If your tom has a swollen tow, it's possible that he jumped down from something a bit hard and broke it. Adam did that last year and healed up just fine. His toe was always a little big then. He'll be fine
And happy birthday! I hope you get that chainsaw!
X2... the earlier you cut out the corn the better your chances of getting the whole thing with less surrounding tissue damage and the shorter the healing time. We just did this on a big hen with similar black spot on her pad.
The 'root' of the corn popped out with the callous when it was removed, left a very tidy cone shaped pit that I filled with triple antibiotic ointment and covered with a gauze pad and then wrapped her foot with that sticky 'vet wrap' type ace bandage which I had cut into long 1" strips. Wrap the foot in and out around the toes then go up the leg a couple of inches and cut the strip in half so you end up with the last 3" or 4" being 1/2" strips, hold one in place and wrap the other one backwards around the leg a couple of times and then tie the two ends together in a knot. If you can't tie it off you can finish it by wrapping the top with a narrow strip of duct tape wrapped a couple of times around the leg to keep it from unwinding.
Change the dressing daily for a few days till you see it filling in, if no sign of infection or swelling you can go to every other day for bandage change, at that point the wrap is more of a protective sock to let the skin toughen up without soil and contamination getting in.
I've never had a Biel go broody, or even sit for a few hours to "test drive". A few Welbars have gone broody, but they have been very easy to break. I have a lavender Am broody now and she has been moved twice to different pens and still sits in an empty nest box all day. I might give her some male legbar chicks to see if she can care for them or just wants to sit on eggs.
Yes it has been quiet around here lately. I've been spending a lot of time outside, tending to the garden and building new perches for the chickens. Planning on adding some hydrangea bushes, a brick walking path, and new nesting boxes in July. I love this time of year![]()