Swollen foot with no visible lesion

[ChickenMamaLissa]

I have a four, almost five month old pullet Bresse? (Actually that’s what the breeder told us, but she has a rose comb and pale pink legs. I’d think by this stage I’d be starting to see at least gray feet). Today I noticed one of her feet was swollen and she was kind of walking like a drunk. I picked her up to see if it was bumble foot, but I’ve been unable to find any kind of cut or puncture. Her run is gravel, dirt, plants, and her coop is full of pine chips that are relatively clean. She sleeps in a nesting box that gets full of poop. I change out the chips in there about once a week. We’ve had some recent trouble with rats climbing into the coop during the day to eat the chicken feed, and we’ve been trapping them (and releasing far away) just so we don’t have even more poop on our hands.
Like I said, I didn’t find any cuts or punctures, and she seems otherwise healthy. I’ve attached photos of her foot. Any help would be appreciated, even if it’s just “let it heal on it’s own”.

 

[Hazza12]

Ouch poor thing it does look sore!! I’ve no experience of bumblefoot, so cant really comment on that I’m afraid!! Are the lumps squishy or hard? I think if it was me I’d probably try and Epsom salt water soak the foot to try and ease the swelling and then apply an ointment! Sorry can’t be of more help, wishing her a speedy recovery!

 

[Mo'sMenagerie]

It doesn't look like bumblefoot (and I've had to deal with that many times). I like the comment above about soaking in epsom salt. Maybe it's something bacterial if the nesting box is getting pooped in and she's sleeping in it? I would keep the poop out of the nesting box daily and try and get her to not sleep in it. Are the nesting boxes higher than the perches? Sometimes they will chose to sleep in the nesting box if it is higher than the perch. They like to be sleep in the higher spots, the little buggers I hope she gets better soon!

 

[ChickenMamaLissa]

Thanks for the replies! I’ve been soaking her foot this week and the swelling has gone, but she still walks and stands really unsteadily. She keeps her tail down and puts her wing out to balance on that side.
My suspicion is a bad sprain or a break.

When she sits on the ground, I noticed her knee sticking up on that side, which made me suspect dislocation. I can’t say I even know what to look or feel for, but both sides of her feel symmetrical.

@Mo’sMenagerie, her nesting box is lower than the perch, but she and my other pullets all liked to crowd in there together. She’s still only 4 months old and quite, quite small. I’ve assumed she sleeps in there because she’s still so young, and now because she can’t get up on her roost due to this foot issue.

 

[Mo'sMenagerie]

Thanks for the replies! I’ve been soaking her foot this week and the swelling has gone, but she still walks and stands really unsteadily. She keeps her tail down and puts her wing out to balance on that side.
My suspicion is a bad sprain or a break.

When she sits on the ground, I noticed her knee sticking up on that side, which made me suspect dislocation. I can’t say I even know what to look or feel for, but both sides of her feel symmetrical.

@Mo’sMenagerie, her nesting box is lower than the perch, but she and my other pullets all liked to crowd in there together. She’s still only 4 months old and quite, quite small. I’ve assumed she sleeps in there because she’s still so young, and now because she can’t get up on her roost due to this foot issue.

Sadness. Poor thing.... Any chance you can get her to a vet? https://www.dummies.com/home-garden...s/how-to-treat-a-chickens-broken-leg-or-wing/

 

[ChickenMamaLissa]

Unfortunately, none of the local vets will even look at chickens. From reading your link (thank you), it doesn’t seem like her leg is broken, though there’s no telling what is happening with those little foot bones. If it is fractured it’s a small one and I can just hope she heals on her own.