Treating bumblefoot with tea tree oil?

[LGoodrum]

I bought some tea tree oil to dab on my hens' bumblefoot scabs (which have been soaked daily were removed with one small plug several days ago). Do I need to wrap the feet still? The wounds have closed over somewhat and they will be confined to a stall. I have to go out-of-town for 4 days and I'm hoping to avoid training my horse caretaker to wrap chicken feet twice a day! Also, should we eat the eggs from the bumblefoot chickens? They are not being treated with oral antibiotics at this time. Thank you!!!!

 

[Alaskan]

I would think (if there are no anti-biotics, or other odd things being fed them) that eating the eggs would be fine. The bumble-foot won't make the eggs bad.

Tea Tree oil is awesome against fungal infections, I have used it on my kids (human).

Otherwise, I can't be helpful, I just don't know!

 

[speckledhen]

Be careful using undiluted tea tree oil. If they peck at the wound and ingest it, it can be fatal to birds. You really should wrap any bumblefoot wound till it's healed--remember they walk in poop all the time and can be re-infected. I only change bandages every couple of days when I treat this.