Torn-off toe nail

[azygous]

I've posted here before about Nancy, my four-year old Light Brahma. I was cleaning out her deep foot-pad pockets (the topic of my previous post), and noticed she had just freshly torn the toe nail on her last toe. It was a ragged injury and the nail was hanging by some remaining flesh. It was bleeding profusely.

I cleaned it and then clipped the hanging nail the rest of the way off. It refused to stop bleeding. I applied pressure, tried a styptic pencil, but it continued to bleed. I applied Blu-kote and placed her in a crate to wait for the bleeding to stop. After an hour, it was still bleeding. I cleaned it again, applied more Blu-kote and placed her on the roost in the coop. The toe was still bleeding.

I'm not too worried about this, having dealt with far worse. But why all the bleeding? Nancy's the third hen to lose the nail on that last toe. Is this a common injury? How on earth do they manage to rip off a nail, anyway?

 

[dawg53]

Quote:
I'm surprised the styptic sticks didnt stop the bleeding. I have 2 Light Brahmas and havnt had any problems with them. If possible, perhaps you can use gauze with neosporin slathered on it and put it on her toe. Then wrap it snugly with duct tape. I've used duct tape for wrapping up their feet after treating for bumblefoot, as hard as they try to remove it, they cant. Then wait a few days and remove it or replace it as necessary. Hopefully the bleeding will have stopped.

 

[azygous]

Thanks Dr Dawg! I had no clue how to wrap a chicken foot! Now I do!

Her foot continued to bleed after she roosted, but that was probably because she had to hop down and snarf one last beak-full of food from the feeder, being a Brahma and religiously dedicated to eating. Hopefully, it will be scabbed over by morning. If not, I'll doctor her foot up with gauze and a selection of my many rolls of colorful duct tape, solid colors and prints, suitable to enhance the mood of the entire run.

 

[TownhouseSeramas]

im so glad you posted this. I just went to check on my birds and found my new hen with blood all over her and her cage and found that her toe nail was torn off. I was freaking out at first I thought her belly was torn because of all the blood but found it was the toe nail. im holding her now and applying pressure but I cant seem to stop the bleeding, I was really panicing. I'll try bandaging it

 

[nurse_turtle]

Rats will take toes while chickens sleep.

 

[dawg53]

I forgot to mention that lowering roosts will help reduce or eliminate foot/leg injuries. Mine are about 20" high in the main coop. I used to have them much higher and had all kinds of problems with my heavier birds as far as leg injuries from hopping down off them, even with hay as bedding. Since most of my birds are in the main coop, I dont want to lower them any further due to ammonia fumes when they poop at night even though there's excellent ventilation. My Brahmas are in a seperate coop. Their roosts are much lower, about 6" up off the floor. Since there's only 2 of them, the air vents are lower as well and ammonia fumes arnt an issue, less poop as well. It's the same set up I have in a third coop. I've made sure there arnt any objects in the coops that could yank off a toenail, and no burrs on the roosts. I guess it's possible to stub a toe on something, much like me stubbing my little toe on something...OUCH, oohh how painful it is!

 

[NatureBoy86]

I recently had the same thing happen to one my free range roos, I applied New Skin antiseptic after cleaning the injured toe. I found it stuck better if I gripped the toe tightly with a cotton rag for 10 secs or so then immediately applying the new skin, so the blood doesnt wash it away. Glad to report hes back to 100%. New skin can be found at any local pharmacy, Best of luck!!

 

[dawg53]

Quote:
Sounds good. Something I'll have to pick up for my "just in case" medicine shelf.

 

[azygous]

I have some New Skin on hand. Did not think to use it on chickens as it burns when applied. But, on the feet, I think it would be fine. I noticed they have little feeling in their toes, as far as pain threshold.

I think my Nancy tore her nail off when she was romping in the snow with the others after being penned up all week. I think she jumped off the wall below the coop and landed on some hard snow or ice. Ouch! She's my heaviest girl and none too graceful.

The toe seems to have closed up overnight and she's none the worse for wear this morning.

I'm glad this post was timely to head off panic by a chicken mama finding her bloody hen.

Thank goodness it wasn't her whole toe. She can get along without a nail.

 

[robdella]

Yup... had a mystery midnight toe nail injury with one of my hens... had suspected a rat as I saw fresh droppings on the floor of the coop.... lifted the temporary floor up and guess what... one giant rat with 6 babies!! Relocated rats and paved the floor of the coop.... only going on instinct but think the rat chewed my chooks foot whilst she slept as the blood I found on her perch was too fresh to be have been there since 6pm the night before ....