Rooster with complex double bumblefoot

[L Home Farm]

I hope he improves for you!!
Reading back yes my guy had red streaks too.

 

[chicknmania]

From experience:

If you have more than one rooster in your flock, avoid removing the rooster. Even for a vet visit. The fights for reintroduction were brutal.

I treat my birds after they go to bed. Much easier to catch.

Have your station ready. Table, bandages/vet wrap pre-cut, Neosporin, pads/goze, tweezers, scissors, antibacterial spray...everything ready and within reach.

Have a large towel laid out.

Best if someone helps you.

When I have to treat feet by myself, I place the rooster on the towel but keep it close to my body. That way one wing is trapped between us. I lean over and once his side pined to the table, I quickly pull the towel over him. I then try to wedge him under my arm and next to my side. Think elbow on the table and him in the triangle space of table, arm and your side.

I can usually angle the pinning hand to hold a foot and use the other to clean and treat the foot.

When I soak feet, I usually do it in the small half bath.

My boys, I have 5, are pretty cooperative. Sometimes I have to hold them in place in the sink until they relax. I can get them to chill in the sink for 15-20 minutes. The soak helps soften and pre-clean the feet.

I try to remove scab and use tweezers to find the kernel.

Vet wrap:
I like to use the 2 inch wide ones. Depending on size of bird I cut 3 4 to 6 inch long strips. Two of the strip I fold in half. This doubles them. One goes between the middle and outside toe across the pad and behind the back toe. The extra length goes next to the shank. I place the other one between the other open toes. This makes an x. I then use the wide strip to secure the ends around the shank.

The hand that holds the foot: I usually have the shank between my middle and ring figure. I use my index finger to spread open toes. Thumb to hold medical and bandage in place.

Thanks for the information. I 've had chickens for 20 years now, and I've been through bumblefoot a few times, so I'm aware of what to do and how to do soaks, etc. This is not a simple scab, this rooster has a lot of inflammation and swelling we have to deal with before we're talking about removing the scab. It is the worst case of bumblefoot I've ever seen and I've been through a couple of other cases. The others I was able to successfully treat. We have been fortunate so far in only having bumblefoot in our big heavy roosters, all the ones we've had that have had bumblefoot have been related genetically...father, son, etc. There's no way I can leave him with the flock, he can't walk, so yes, I will see if I can get someone I know to take him if he does in fact make a full recovery. I've been through this before. I'm fully aware of the issues in returning him to the flock with the other roosters. That's one reason why if I can successfully rehome him if he makes a full recovery, I will. If you've read the rest of this thread, you would see I don't have anyone to help me and in fact have offered my own tips treating bumblefoot. Thanks for sharing your methods.

 

[chicknmania]

I had a rooster with a gruesome foot - it was the size of a blinkin tennis ball. So I softened it in Epsom salts warm water, then I cut it open. On the top and bottom. The stuff was rock hard. We scooped most of it out with a knife. There was a few pussy bits and cheesy lumps too. Then blood started spurting everywhere. Packed in cayenne, golden seal, colloidal silver and more cayenne. Bandaged it tightly and he never looked back. Tiny limp, that was it. Boy did I love that rooster. I was so sad when he passed. He was a huge, gentle giant called Prince but I nicknamed him Dinosaur. He was one tough cookie.

It's interesting how many people have been successful with bumblefoot surgery, as I know from reading other's experiences and my own, most vets are discouraging about doing surgery on a chicken's foot, and will try other things. Antibiotics alone don't work so i don't know why they bother going that route. Our last rooster that had it had a bad case too, he had it in both feet. He didn't have terrible swelling like this guy does, but it was bad, it got into his joints. I took him to a vet who recommended either euthanasia or antibiotic therapy. She gave me Oxytet, totally inappropriate in my opinion as an antibiotic for that condition, and we didn't use it. Anyway, we successfully cured him using Tricide Neo and Epsom Salts soaks over a period of weeks, geesh, what a pain that was, but he did get back on his feet. I rehomed him with a friend who was aware of why I was rehoming. She kept him in a pen with just two other hens. He had a slight limp when I gave him to her, but the last time i talked to her, she said he had no limp at all, and was doing fine. This is the first time i've tried bumblefoot surgery with the help of a friend, and I had similar results to what you had, the infection was all hard in the one foot. That foot is still somewhat swollen, but actually seems to be the better of the two.

And sorry for your loss, been down that road, too.

 

[chicknmania]

I hope he improves for you!!
Reading back yes my guy had red streaks too.

Did yours improve?

 

[L Home Farm]

Did yours improve?

They stayed, mostly but no longer hurt.

 

[chicknmania]

They stayed, mostly but no longer hurt.

That is what seems to be happening with my rooster's toe.