Struggling to clean mud balls from bantams feet :(

[Laver2k]

Hi all,

My bantam has amassed these round balls at the end of her toes. I tried to grab her a few times over the last month but she is not a friendly one! Anyway, today I managed to grab her (she cant really escape anymore) and put her in a little cage with warm water at the base (to soak the balls). I left her to soak them for about 20 minutes and they did get a little softer but were still way too firm to pull off/scrape away.

Is there any chicken-friendly type of soap that would help them fall off? They are really compacted and I'm worried about hurting her toes if I start using brushes/knives/scissors.

Any advice would be fantastic.

 

[Eggcessive]

Here are 3 threads to read about how to get the poop balls off their feet:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/558082/hard-round-growths-on-chicks-feet
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/386318/how-do-i-get-mud-balls-off-her-toes
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/577692/my-hen-has-golf-balls-on-the-tip-of-her-toes

 

[seminolewind]

I use a scissors.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I have found if I soak them long enough they will come off by using my fingers to gently squish them then gently pull them off. I use warm water for the soak. I do use scissors also for the mud balls along the feathers.

 

[azygous]

Dawn detergent is highest in an ingredient called "surfactant". It causes water to be "wetter". Wildlife rescue teams use it to get crude oil spills off birds.

Fill a small wash basin with two inches of very warm water and a squirt of Dawn. The mud ball should soften like magic. I use a fingernail brush on my chickens' feet.

You shouldn't need to chase a chicken. You can train all your chickens to come to you by using treats in your hand. After a while, all you need to do to have them come to you is to hold out your hand as if you have something in it. Even if they're still suspicious of you, they're then close enough to snatch them up.