Weird looking scales on chicken feet.

[Luckybaby]

My 6 month old white cochin(bantam) have raised scales on the bottom of it's feet.






The 3 photos above is his left foot's photo. There are two areas of concern. Both of them contains raised scales, and they can best be seen on the first photo. The grey or black color on it, is actually chicken poop. I don't have enough time to clean it good enough to make it's color appear to be like his scale. The only unusual thing that I see, is that the scales are raised, but the tissue beneath them, is not inflamed, or hard. My other chicken have something similar to that, but it is smaller, and instead of pointing towards the earth if the chicken is standing, it is pointing to the side. The poop that sticks in there, are harder to take out than the poop that are stuck on other scales.




Like his left foot, his right foot also has raised scales. I think the black area are actually poop. However, one of the raised scale, is hard and it is at least 3 times wider than the other raised scale. Also, the color is like the color of honey. It looks like, that some of the tissue is raised.

Should I try to take it(the raised scale on the left and right foot) out?

 

[iwiw60]

While scaley leg mites are generally confined to the legs of chickens, it could possibly be that...I hope your girl gets better quickly!

 

[Michael Apple]

Cochins are a good sized bird. Heavier breeds should have roosts no more than 18" off the floor and a good layer of deep, clean litter on the floor. That can help in addition to what type of litter. Straw isn't as absorbent as pine shavings. Shavings produced and sold with too many splinters in the bale can cause problems too.
Too much friction from a rough floor surface, and exposure to constant moisture from urine or feces (especially in hot humid weather) can cause up for ulcerative pododermatitis (Bumblefoot) , especially in animals with weakened immune systems or those that sit in soiled litter. So those are things to avoid. It is when a staph infection begins with an ulcer under the skin that it becomes Bumblefoot. Your bird doesn't have bumblefoot, but could develop a problem being a large breed without some of those preventive measures I mentioned. Supplement water a few times a week throughout the year with a good quality poultry vitamin and probiotic soluble powder in water, and a well balanced diet will help keep the birds' immune systems strong.

 

[Eggcessive]

I agree that it could possibly be foot pad dermatitis. Keeping litter dry is key, and pine shavings are much better than hay or straw. Raking the litter and applying clean shavings often helps.
http://www.joneshamiltonag.com/jh/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/PLT_PLT-and-Preventing-Paw-Lesions.pdf
http://archive.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/farmanimal/welfare/onfarm/documents/fpd-key-card.pdf

 

[azygous]

Just a few days ago, I discovered scaly leg mites on several of my feather-footed girls. It looks like the pictures you've posted. They're in molt now, and I'm sure that lowers their immune systems, even though they're on fermented feed and are getting probiotics.

What I did was to soak their feet and legs in a warm solution of epsom salts for fifteen minutes, scrubbing the scales gently. Then I dried them off and stood their feet in a dish of castor oil, allowing a full minute or longer for the oil to penetrate thoroughly. This smothers the mites. Then I turned them loose to go get good and filthy in the dirt. Don't worry, it eventually gets worn off and their legs are clean again.

But you need to repeat this process a couple more times to kill mites that have hatched since the first treatment, say, about a week apart. Castor oil is relatively cheap and has many good properties to aid in healing.

 

[Luckybaby]

I agree that it could possibly be foot pad dermatitis. Keeping litter dry is key, and pine shavings are much better than hay or straw. Raking the litter and applying clean shavings often helps.
http://www.joneshamiltonag.com/jh/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/PLT_PLT-and-Preventing-Paw-Lesions.pdf
http://archive.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/farmanimal/welfare/onfarm/documents/fpd-key-card.pdf

Should I cut those scales?

 

[Luckybaby]

I am really concerned about the raised scale on his right leg. It looks, like the tissue and scales is pulled, and as a result of it, it is pointing towards the ground, if he is standing. Should I cut it?

 

[Luckybaby]

The hard stuff on his right foot is actually something that is yellow in color, and it is not poop. Unlike the poop, I can't take it out with just wet paper towel. Actually, I use my finger nails to take it out. If I took out all of it out, I think it would look like the scales on his left foot.

I am still wondering why those yellow hard stuff are stuck on his scales?

 

[Luckybaby]

Is there a treatment for foot pad dermatitis?

 

[Eggcessive]

Warm epsom salt soaks to the feet daily, and keeping them on a dry litter such as pine shavings. Keep manure raked, and prevent wet areas. Biotin in the diet may help if there is a deficiency. Reading the links above may help.