Sultan feet keep bleeding and feathers won't grow!

[flappychicken]

My rooster Sully lives in a rather small calm environment, with two hens.
I let them out in a pen when ever I am home and not preoccupied with something else. So at least once or twice every other day.

But regularly now he has been profusely bleeding out of his feathers in his foot. like the feather is bleeding, not around the feather, not because of the feather, but the feather Its self. I have been patching him up and sending him back out for a while now. And it worked for about a month before it happened again and now it is happening A LOT! I don't know for sure but at least 6 times in this year. I am getting to the point of just making him shoes and babying him. Or taking him to the vets. Never the less something is definitely not right and I need to do something about it long term.

Thanks

-Amelia

 

[azygous]

There may be one of two things going on, or both. Your roo could have ingrown feathers on his feet or scaly leg mites.

First of all, I recommend a nice soak in Epsom salts. That will clean and soften his feet so you can have a better look at them. Look for any ingrown feathers. These will appear as "pimples", but if you look closely, the pin feather has made a "U" turn and embedded itself in the foot causing red, inflamed skin.

These ingrown feathers are painful, so a chicken will peck at them much as we rub our head when we bang it on something. This will rupture the pin feather and cause a lot of bleeding. The bleeding starts up a cycle of picking by the chicken who owns the feet as well as others who are attracted to the blood.

After the soak, take some tweezers and gently pull on the embedded feather until it's freed. Then paint Blu-kote on the inflamed skin to heal it and also to camouflage it so the chickens won't pick it.

Another cause for foot problems is scaly leg mites. Look closely at the scales. If you see they're raised or crusty looking, you need to soak the feet and legs in Epsom salt, then slather on castor oil to smother the mites and to heal the skin.

 

[flappychicken]

I think it might be the first one you mentioned. Although we don't have Epsom salts so do you know where I can get some?

Also another problem he is having is there is feathers growing but they are just the "stem" if you will there is not a lot of fluff growing out of it is that normal for winter time? Or is that something bigger?

 

[azygous]

You can get Epsom salt in the pharmacy or even at garden supply stores. It comes in five or seven pound bags and is inexpensive. I dissolve about half a cup in a liter of warm water.

The "stem" thing could be broken off feather shafts or partially erupted pin feathers.

It might be beneficial to treat his feet with castor oil even if you do not suspect leg mites. Castor oil has wonderful healing properties and if there are mites, it will kill them. If there aren't mites, it will at least soothe and heal the feet. Castor oil is pretty cheap, too. Pharmacies carry it.