Possible Bumblefoot?

[Birdwingsgirl]

Hello there,
I need some advice regarding one of my hens. Fern, our Australorp, has been walking pretty stiffly for quite some time now. For a while, I attributed it to her getting older (she and our Easter egger, Gertie, will be 8 this spring). However, I noticed that the underside of her feet, mostly her right one, have been getting swollen just recently. This is her left:

And this is her right:

Also, here is the top of her right foot:

Her right foot pad does show a dark grayish mark that would be characteristic of bumblefoot, but it doesn’t feel scabby or anything like that. She’s had the stiff walking for a little over a year now, but her foot pad swelling has started just recently. When I pick her up to feel her foot pad, she doesn’t flinch or show any other signs of pain when I touch it. Is it possibly bumblefoot or something else? I need help; I don’t know what to do. I feel terrible that this wasn’t addressed earlier.
By the way, don’t worry about the overgrown-looking nails on her toes in the pictures; my dad and I took care of that after the photos were taken by trimming them to a better length.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

The only possible spot of bumblefoot I see is the dark spot at the end of the middle toe on the left foot. But no other bumblefoot do I see.
I see some possible cases of scaly leg mites.
Do they not have a chance to scratch in the soil. Most chickens will keep their nails worn down by scratching. Since they were so long, you'll probably have to trim them every couple weeks till you get them under control. Trimming too much at once will get into the quick.

 

[Birdwingsgirl]

Both of our chickens are free range in our backyard, though we keep an eye on them regularly throughout the day, so they do have plenty of areas to scratch. Fern hasn’t been scratching nearly as much lately due to her stiffness. We’ll be sure to keep the nails trims more regularly. I’ve heard about scaly leg mites, but I wasn’t quite sure. What would one do to combat scaly leg mites if they occurred?

 

[RoosterML]

I think cutting the nails will go a long way, I do not see bumblefoot.

 

[coach723]

Older birds can have the same aging issues as any other animal, arthritis is not uncommon. Looking at what you feed, and how they are housed might give some clues. Larger birds tend to have more issues due to the weight. If they are jumping down from roosts, that may be becoming too difficult for them and causing pain. Too much calcium or too much protein can cause issues. If you suspect arthritis then the help of a good avian vet would be optimal, if that is an option. The same types of anti-inflamatory medications used for other animals can be helpful, if that is the case (meloxicam, carprofen, tramadol). This is a good article on caring for older birds, may have some helpful info for you:
https://opensanctuary.org/article/special-recommendations-for-older-chickens/

 

[Birdwingsgirl]

Older birds can have the same aging issues as any other animal, arthritis is not uncommon. Looking at what you feed, and how they are housed might give some clues. Larger birds tend to have more issues due to the weight. If they are jumping down from roosts, that may be becoming too difficult for them and causing pain. Too much calcium or too much protein can cause issues. If you suspect arthritis then the help of a good avian vet would be optimal, if that is an option. The same types of anti-inflamatory medications used for other animals can be helpful, if that is the case (meloxicam, carprofen, tramadol). This is a good article on caring for older birds, may have some helpful info for you:
https://opensanctuary.org/article/special-recommendations-for-older-chickens/

Thank you so much! I’ll take a look at that.