Thanks for the deep freeze Mother Nature, frostbite on feet

[Trisseh]

Question for you guys - would it be advisable to look into some sort of protective bootie for the leg that will be losing the foot, at least, or even for both? I do want him to be able to go outside again, even if he has to be segregated from the rest; he has chicks in the house for company he can see and hear right now but I’m sure he’s lonely in a cage by himself.
I have birdie booties that I purchased for another of my birds that had a foot injury. Not sure if something like that would work since all of his toes will be gone... any ideas/suggestions? I also have a cousin that has a 3D printer and could potentially make him a prosthetic if I had somewhere to start. Anyone had experience with this kind of thing?

 

[Trisseh]

Well, came home to this last night. The stump looks pretty good, once I cleaned it up.

As soon as I was done fussing with it, he was out of there! Haha. He’s doing well otherwise.

 

[Fluffy_Feathers]

You're taking such good care of him! He's in very good hands.

I had a hen who got severe frostbite on both feet and lost basically all of her toes. A couple years later she ended up with bumblefoot on both feet. I'm thinking that her bumblefoot may have been due in part to her walking and having to put a lot of pressure on her stumps. I don't know if anyone else's frostbitten birds have had this problem, maybe it's just mine.

I would recommend trying out some kind of covering for his stump to provide some barrier from the ground, and to provide him with some cushion. Perhaps it wouldn't be necessary since his other foot is decently intact and would bear a good amount of weight, but better safe than sorry. If nothing works, it may not be a big deal, just make sure to check his foot/stump often. I know some people's footless chickens do fine with nothing special, so it may vary from chicken to chicken.

When I was fighting my hen's bumblefoot I thought she was cured, so I started planning out ideas for something to put over her feet. I figured something breathable would be best, so moisture and bacteria wouldn't build up. I got a pair of jersey gloves, and figured maybe I could cut the fingers and figure out a way to fasten them around her feet, like shoes or socks, but would still be easily removable. I don't know how well it would've worked, I was just going to experiment and see how things went. It may have still trapped too much moisture and may have not been a good idea. I did not get very far in my planning, sadly her bumblefoot came back a few weeks after I stopped treatment and came back worse, and I made the decision to put her out her misery. Maybe my ideas could help you, even if I didn't get very far.

While I know nothing about this, a prosthetic foot would be super interesting and cool. I've seen stuff online like this for chickens and ducks so I know it's possible.

I hope this helps give you at least some insight. I wish you luck, and I hope your cockerel continues to make a speedy recovery!

Side note: I just want to add, don't let my failure to save my hen worry you too much. I made a lot neglectful mistakes. If I had been better, it would've ended better. You are taking such good care of your bird, I'm sure he will live a very happy life.

 

[Trisseh]

@Fluffy_Feathers thanks so much for sharing, although sorry about your hen. if this guy wasn’t such an excellent patient I don’t think we would have gotten this far, honestly.

i also was trying to figure out some way to protect the foot without anything too elaborate, constrictive, or absorbent. Or that he could easily pull off. Lol. I’ve got the neoprene birdie booties, they’re not super breathable but I figured with the toes open since there are no toes to go in them, it might breathe well enough.

we tried it out the other night, with a bandage on to protect the still healing stump, and it definitely helps with his balance, and gives him a little extra height on that side now that the foot itself is gone. I don’t know how he’ll be once he gets outside again but we’ll see. His spur bud is still there so I’m wondering if I can anchor the bootie to it instead of the back toe that is no longer there.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

Hi @Trisseh. How is your little guy doing? Did u find a good solution to protect his stump? I know u didnt get much info to help you; i think maybe thats because many people dont keep their chickens after such a serious injury. I have a hen currrently in the same situation. Like your boy, she has also been an easy patient. (Her right foot isnt so good either.) Her left foot will be leaving her any day now. Any info u have learned will be helpful, both to me and to those who discover your thread in the future. Attached photo of her left foot is from today. Tu for any input & advice u can give.

 

[Trisseh]

Hi @Trisseh. How is your little guy doing? Did u find a good solution to protect his stump? I know u didnt get much info to help you; i think maybe thats because many people dont keep their chickens after such a serious injury. I have a hen currrently in the same situation. Like your boy, she has also been an easy patient. (Her right foot isnt so good either.) Her left foot will be leaving her any day now. Any info u have learned will be helpful, both to me and to those who discover your thread in the future. Attached photo of her left foot is from today. Tu for any input & advice u can give.

Sorry to hear you’re also dealing with such a severe case! Her foot looks very similar to what his did, shouldn’t be long before that comes off. I actually found even though the underside was sore, he was moving a lot better once the necrotic tissue was gone.
I stopped soaking his feet once the edges of the necrotic tissue were starting to come up away from the healthy tissue.

So I’ve been bandaging with a bit of ointment on a non stick dressing, a small amount of cotton, then a layer of vetrap, then applying the neoprene bootie. Once the stump is completely healed I’ll just put the bootie on and see how he does. so far I have no issues keeping the bootie on. Once his spur starts growing I may need to make adjustments, but because he’s still young and he had damage to the bud, I’m not sure how it’s going to behave.

I’ll attach the video below of him walking around in it the first time I let him out. (Don’t mind the mess and cats! Haha)

He’s still in the house kennelled until the weather warms up and the mud is gone, and I also have to figure out housing for him. I don’t think he can climb the ramp to get into the coop, and as he is wooly he can’t really fly, so he probably will need his own space. I was thinking of putting him and my 2 silkies together in a small coop/run. I’m also concerned about the other birds bullying him, so we shall see. He got himself into this situation by acting like a silkie, so he can stay with the silkies. Haha.

 

[Byrd gal]

Im not partial to roos but leg or not I believe that is the cutest bird I have ever seen. I hope you both have smooth waters here on out. What is he?

 

[Eggcessive]

Thanks for posting updates of your little guy. He looks like he will be able to get around on his new shoe. Good luck.

 

[Trisseh]

Im not partial to roos but leg or not I believe that is the cutest bird I have ever seen. I hope you both have smooth waters here on out. What is he?

Thanks! He’s extremely sweet. Honestly, if he was a not so good boy, he definitely would’ve been culled instead. He’s a Swedish Hedemora.

 

[Trisseh]

Thanks for posting updates of your little guy. He looks like he will be able to get around on his new shoe. Good luck.

Thanks for the earlier suggestions and the encouragement! He’s definitely done better than I thought he would. he’s turned into quite the pet now, so I guess he’s sticking around. Haha.