Silkies and Cochins with ICKY FEET!

[hokankai]

I have 7 bantam cochins and 2 silkies in my brooder. This is my first time with feather-footed and MAN their feet are getting grody. I have puppy pads on the brooder floor, but will be switching to pine shaving tomorrow because they are a week old and have figured out the food/water aspect of life

. I'm hoping pine shavings will keep their feet clean...but how do I go about cleaning their feet? Just warm water and gentle manipulation?

 

[CaliBlueChicken]

That sounds like a good idea, sorry I am not much help... maybe someone else with fuzzy foot expierence will chime in

 

[lclough1998]

I have a friend that uses pellet bedding and swears by it. I switched to it because the pine shaving were getting all over my house, the girls clothes and driving me crazy. I like the bedding, it absorbes the liquid in the droppings and the water from the waterer and its heavier so when they start scratching, it doesnt go all over so much like the shaving do. Great in the garden to, holds moisture and fertilizes, be careful of bare roots tho, i hear it can be hot.

 

[DancingHen]

I find that just a barely damp paper towel will usually wipe it off. If their feet get too bad, or it hardens, just dip their toes in some warm water for a minute, and then wipe with a towel. Just be careful not to get the rest of the chick wet and cold. Cleaning the brooder often helps, but not much. They seem to find and step in the poo the second one makes a mess!

 

[Nicole01]

I have 3 feathered footed chicks. I've used pine from the beginning and never had a problem. I've also read somewhere that some people cut the feathers on the feet, so the feet stay cleaner. I'm not sure I'll cut their feathers in the future, we will see how it works out in the coop.

 

[ginger c.]

we have 2 silkies and have had the nasty foot problem along with pasty butt, we get a small tupperware container with warm water and soak their feet and bottoms and then use damp tissue to wipe away the mess. then DH uses the blow dryer to quickly dry them off.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

I use pine shavings (have 13 LF cochin in my brooder). They're feet look good. I try to add a fresh layer of shavings and stir up the old stuff every couple of days. The only ones who get icky feet are my whites, so I occasionally treat them to a pedicure. I wash their feet off with a little warm water from my faucet, dry them, them put them back in the brooder.