Hi Folks, We were happy to welcome eight new chickens to our flock last night. We adopted them from a very clean and concerned hobby breeder, who unfortunately did not notice that one of the Hamburgh's had managed to grow very long and spiralled claws on one foot. We trimmed them back as soon as we noticed and bathed her feet thoroughly as they were a mess. They cleaned up nicely, but the removal of all the muck made it possible to see how bad her poor little feet really are. She's missing numerous claws and this afternoon when I popped home on my lunch break to check on everyone, she excitedly ran out of the barn when I opened the door, and the gravel did the job on her freshly cleaned feet. There was blood going everywhere. I figure they'll be sensitive for a while until they start to heal up, but has anyone any experience with this missing claw issue? Any thoughts on how best to handle it, other than just keeping her isolated until she can get "back on her feet"? (har har) Cheers, and thanks in advance, Steve
I'd keep her isolated in a place with a layer of woodshavings or sawdust. Keep her away from sharp, hard objects like gravel, and away from other chickens. I'm not sure how long it will take for her feet to become less tender, but it shouldn't take too long. Hope this helps!