Southern NY, Dutchess county and below

[ChickenAl]

HELP!! I noticed Shirley limping today when I went out to clean the coop.  Bumblefoot.  In BOTH feet.  Slightly swollen pads with black scabs in the middle.  I figured I'd soften up and remove the scabs, let the wounds drain and treat with neosporin.  Yes?

I'm going to move her indoors until she's better.  yikes.

Sorry you have to deal with this, Suzanne.

Yu may have read this already, but here's a link from the site. http://backyardchickens.yuku.com/topic/6681#.UCrujWt5mSM

Hope this helps. Good luck.

 

[ChickenAl]

Try golf balls. Worked for us.

Yup, worked for us too. As long as they approximate the size and shape of an egg, I think almost anything round works.

 

[ChickenAl]

I just dropped my son at football practice. I'm going to go have an x-ray on my hand this morning-it's not getting any better-it's getting worse, and I'd like to just find out what the heck the problem is. I swear-I'm falling apart!   I hit 45 and it hit back. HARD!!!

My middle son has practice tonight, so I'll be cooking an early dinner. The season of 4pm dinners has begun. By the time football season ends, the kids are starving by 4 and drive me nuts when I try to make dinnertime back to 6. Creeps. 

My husband is going to be hanging a light inside the hen house soon, since I'd like to extend lying through the winter, so it will go on at 4am, and stay lit until 8 pm. That should be enough light, right? I can't wait until my little girls are old enough to lay-they're about 16-17 weeks old, so it should be soon!! 

Rosie, hope your hand wasn't broken. Feel better.

I'm still trying to catch up on posts. 40-45 is about the point the wheels start coming off the cart. 50 is no picnic either.

We never used the light and they layed all through the winter. I've heard after they molt that you may have to use the light. That happens at about 18 months. Yours should be ready at anytime. You will see them squat when you get close to them. You'll know they are very close to laying then.

 

[ChickenAl]

My dad ate my egg!
Oh well. He said it was delicious.

Hey, at least it was delicious! It was a cool looking egg.

 

[Imprfctme]

Thank you all for being so sweet about our little hamster. It may seem silly to some to be so fond of a little creature but I knew you all would understand. Tomorrow is my birthday, I'm hoping for no pain for her one way or another.

 

[highpointfarm]

This brings me great pain to type this, but does anyone have a kind way to put down a hamster? She is not doing well, and is basically going into ketosis despite the antibiotics and food supplement. I'm not even sure I could bring myself to do anything though. I hate to see her just suffering and barely breathing. Ugh, poor little baby!

You know when you combine baking soda and vinager to make the volcano eruptions? do that in a tupperware and put the hamster in and put the lid on.... it produces carbon monoxide and they fall asleep and dont wake up... u do the same thing when you need to cull a chick... sorry for her and you =/ we lost our hamster a few weeks ago and it is really hard =/

 

[smkchick]

Sorry you have to deal with this, Suzanne.
Yu may have read this already, but here's a link from the site. http://backyardchickens.yuku.com/topic/6681#.UCrujWt5mSM
Hope this helps. Good luck.

Thanks, Al. I read the link. A little more complicated than I planned to get, but I liked the Bactine idea. I got Epsom salts and bandages and bacitracin tonight - gonna address the problem tomorrow. She seems a little more comfortable than earlier.

Now the worse news. It seems like other chickens (Gladys for one) have small black scabs on their feet as well. They don't seem bothered. Is that also bumblefoot? Because what I'm reading seems to say yes.

Surgery for all? And how do I reduce the likelihood of it coming back? I guess I could scrub the whole coop with Lysol or something, but how effective will that be in the long run?

I just need to point out that this was a day when I felt like going back to bed at 11 a.m. The highlights? Other than finding like 5 infected chicken feet, I was informed that the $1500 ER bill for Laura's visit doesn't include doctors fees. I also went to see the surgeon about my shoulder and left because it wasn't covered by the claim under my old insurance and I don't have new insurance yet. Oh yeah, and my lower back problem is a tailbone injury that isn't getting better. (See note about now health insurance.)

And to think, all of this is a problem simply because I don't speak Spanish. Right here in America.

It was a Hershey's Special Dark day.

 

[littlecritters]

This brings me great pain to type this, but does anyone have a kind way to put down a hamster? She is not doing well, and is basically going into ketosis despite the antibiotics and food supplement. I'm not even sure I could bring myself to do anything though. I hate to see her just suffering and barely breathing. Ugh, poor little baby!

I'm so sorry about your hammy. Sadly, I am contemplating euthanasia for our little roach back silkie....who is getting worse with scoliosis. Caleb does have a reasonable suggestion regarding the vinegar and baking soda. I researched kind ways to euthanize chickens (and small animals) and feel that this approach is very humane. Here is the thread if you wish to check into it ---> https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/251309/please-help-with-euthanizing-a-chicken

 

[ChickenAl]

Thanks, Al.  I read the link.  A little more complicated than I planned to get, but I liked the Bactine idea.  I got Epsom salts and bandages and bacitracin tonight - gonna address the problem tomorrow.  She seems a little more comfortable than earlier.

Now the worse news.  It seems like other chickens (Gladys for one) have small black scabs on their feet as well.  They don't seem bothered.  Is that also bumblefoot?  Because what I'm reading seems to say yes.

Surgery for all?  And how do I reduce the likelihood of it coming back?  I guess I could scrub the whole coop with Lysol or something, but how effective will that be in the long run?

I just need to point out that this was a day when I felt like going back to bed at 11 a.m.  The highlights?  Other than finding like 5 infected chicken feet, I was informed that the $1500 ER bill for Laura's visit doesn't include doctors fees.  I also went to see the surgeon about my shoulder and left because it wasn't covered by the claim under my old insurance and I don't have new insurance yet.  Oh yeah, and my lower back problem is a tailbone injury that isn't getting better.  (See note about now health insurance.)

And to think, all of this is a problem simply because I don't speak Spanish.  Right here in America. 

It was a Hershey's Special Dark day. 

Besides being sore, physically, I can understand you being plain sore at a lot of things. America ain't what it used to be.

One point I wanted to remind you of is that the infection in their feet is staph. It can infect humans. Please make sure you are wearing surgical gloves when handling them to take care of their feet. Throw out all the towels or rags when you are done. I read where they say to burn or bury them. Disinfect what you can and give them lots of fresh and soft bedding.

Hope tomorrow is a better day for you.

 

[ChickenAl]

Thank you all for being so sweet about our little hamster. It may seem silly to some to be so fond of a little creature but I knew you all would understand. Tomorrow is my birthday, I'm hoping for no pain for her one way or another.

No, Heather, it's not silly. The loss can be as hard regardless of the kind of pet. Many of us have been there. It's okay to grieve.