Sick chickens now getting bright red between toes and up legs

[newbiechickenowner]

PLEASE HELP! Ok...so I have had quite a time with these chickens. All brought in new end of September. they were born in June and shipped and raised in horse stall sheds in a barn and I bought them there. Ok. so a few had some sneezing. Thought cold. Then, found a GIANT roundworm in poop. Went to these boards. Wormed them per directions with fenbenzadole (Safeguard) after called the manufacterer for specific amounts. Also, the new rooster that I had brought in was breathing very loudly only through his mouth (he has gotten somewhat better with the antis). During this worming time or immediately following the worming, a different rooster and a hen (both Buff orpingtons) developed significant drool/spit in their mouths. The hen could be heard with rattles in her chest when she would breath, etc. Also, and this is my main question, but may be part of the whole thing, I dont' know, the rooster and the hen developed bright red between their toes and starting up the backs of their legs. Not raised or scaley or anything, just looks like between their toes is bright red and going up the back of their legs like a big stripe. I immediately gave them all a 5-day course of duramycin 50 (tetracyline) in their water to try to help with what is thought to be a respiratory infection/virus. This ended yesterday night. Now, the other rooster that was the one that seemed sick to begin with and got better is developing this red bright skin between his toes. HELP! My poor chickens! They were supposed to be "very healthy!". What up?

 

[The Chickens' Maid]

We have four chicks that were born in early June, and a few of them also have red developing on their feet. Their mother was a silkie, so the others have blue skin. However, their dad was a Buff Orpington, and he has REALLY RED legs and chest; it's so red that it looks like he is bleeding. I think it's just his breed, because this has never caused him any problems. His son, especially, is getting red legs now; I think it's just because he is maturing. What breed are your chickens?

 

[elmo]

If the color is bilateral (same on both legs), it's probably just the natural coloration of the maturing chicken's feet. My rooster has developed racing stripes up the sides of his legs, too.

 

[newbiechickenowner]

OK....so I am feeling a sense of relief with both of your answers right now regarding the feet. They are Buff orpingtons and the other rooster is a rhode island red. The other buffs and rhode islands did not have it so I thought it was because these were the three birds that have been sick. I went and looked at pictures and didn't see any buff orpingtons with red legs, but, if you are saying that yours do, then, there are red legs out there. It is bilateral. And, of course, all of the chickens are young and could be developing at different rates and it could be coincidental, I guess, that it was the three that seemed ill. I just want healthy birds. I did so much research and built the coop just so and so much went into the preparation for this and now, I bring home the chickens, and there are all sorts of things going wrong with them. It is disheartening. I guess I should have raised them from a hatchery, but, these folks raised them and I thought that was just as good. They seemed OK when I got them, except for the sneezes, but now we have the worms and what seems to be very sick birds with thick spitty drool and I am just overwhelmed! There are no "chicken" doctors around here and I am relying on this forum. The local farmers either don't raise chickens or don't care too much about if they have worms or a cold or not. Maybe I am just trying to hard to get them healthy. Maybe they could be living somewhere else and no one would even notice

 

[The Chickens' Maid]

Don't give up! You're not alone! A lot of people on this forum are the only source of "vet" care for their birds. I know what that feels like when several birds in the flock get sick, and you don't know what to do about it, and you are scared that you aren't doing the right thing for them, and then they start doing something ELSE, and you don't know WHAT they're doing or WHY, and why can't they just BE HEALTHY!!!

 

[newbiechickenowner]

Thank you for the help. It did end up being unfortunate timing. THe red was just them getting normal coloring....just happend to come around the time of the illness. Thanks again for answering.