Weird Things Between Webbing

Dec 23, 2020
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Washington, PNW
Hello!
My light brahma Daisy had a strange bump in her webbing. It looked similar to the chicken's foot in the pic below. We soaked her feet in warm water with Epsom salts, and found that there was a build up of poop/mud that had pushed her webbing up. So, we removed that with tweezers. I just noticed that Gabbie (the chicken in the photo) has these weird things in her webbing as well. It isn't bumblefoot, there isn't a scab. Anything is helpful! Thanks in advance.
 

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Hello!
My light brahma Daisy had a strange bump in her webbing. It looked similar to the chicken's foot in the pic below. We soaked her feet in warm water with Epsom salts, and found that there was a build up of poop/mud that had pushed her webbing up. So, we removed that with tweezers. I just noticed that Gabbie (the chicken in the photo) has these weird things in her webbing as well. It isn't bumblefoot, there isn't a scab. Anything is helpful! Thanks in advance.
Do you have someone who could hold these girls so you can get a more focused picture of her feet? It's very hard to see the feet well but it almost looks like scaly leg mite.
 
Your description sounds like mud balls. They are accumulations of mud, dirt, and droppings. They can start small in a tiny crevice and build up over time. They are usually really hard, like concrete. If your soil conditions make these prevalent in your flock, then I would start doing foot checks regularly, so you can deal with them when they are small. They can also form around toes, and can cut circulation off if left alone. A couple of pictures below of mud balls, last picture of the pocket remaining after removal.
mudballs1.jpg

mudballs2.jpg

mudpocket.jpg
 
Your description sounds like mud balls. They are accumulations of mud, dirt, and droppings. They can start small in a tiny crevice and build up over time. They are usually really hard, like concrete. If your soil conditions make these prevalent in your flock, then I would start doing foot checks regularly, so you can deal with them when they are small. They can also form around toes, and can cut circulation off if left alone. A couple of pictures below of mud balls, last picture of the pocket remaining after removal.
View attachment 2462075
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YES! I had to dig out some pretty large one from between my other girl's webbing, and I think this chicken may have the same thing. I also have two of our spring chickens that I have to push the tiny, soft poop balls out of their webbing daily, just to make sure they don't harden. We are planning to soak the chicken in the photo's r feet in warm water with epsom salts today, to maybe soften the mud/poop balls.
 
Sometimes it may take several soakings to get it all loosened up, they can be really, really, hard. Some soils are more conducive to these forming, so yours is apparently one of those. I often think that chicken droppings must have been the inspiration behind epoxy. When they are difficult to remove, or are around toes it's best to go slowly and not force things so that you don't damage tissue or toes. You can also try applying vegetable oil to help soften them up.
 
Sometimes it may take several soakings to get it all loosened up, they can be really, really, hard. Some soils are more conducive to these forming, so yours is apparently one of those. I often think that chicken droppings must have been the inspiration behind epoxy. When they are difficult to remove, or are around toes it's best to go slowly and not force things so that you don't damage tissue or toes. You can also try applying vegetable oil to help soften them up.
Thank you! The ones on the chicken not picture in the photo were the size of my thumbnail. Poor girl.
 

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