What has happened to my battery hens foot?

[Kimminykricket37]

Hi guys, I have recently rescued a couple of battery hens to live a happy, free-range life on my property but one of them has a sore, misshapen foot. What can I do, if anything, to help her? I’m scared to let her free range with the others incase they attack her because of the injury. They both had scaly mite which is now healing. TIA x

 

[sawilliams]

She came to you that way? Given her age I don't thing there is much you can do to help her at this piont. Watch her and see how she does on it. Keep an eye on it for other possibly complications like toes dying. Hope someone can help you out.

 

[Alaskan]

I would give her vitamin therapy for a week. Just in case that is part of the issue. I am now blanking as to the which ones might be most helpful.

I would give her feet a nice long soak in warm epsom salt water. Maybe after a soak and a gentle cleaning a wound might be visible.

In the photo it looks like she is missing one toe? Maybe this a frostbite related injury. So I would also check the rest of her foot for circulation and warmth. Of course hot spots will mean infection.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Hens only get attacked by other flock members because the hen being attacked or bullied refuses to display the correct amount of respect towards their overlords.

A flock of hens is quite like a room full of catty teenagers who will often mercilessly bully, needle, and attack a child because they don't see eye to eye or are different in someway.

Your battery hen looks like she had her toes crushed maybe by a chicken tractor or perhaps by being stepped on. I will guarantee you this, the longer that she is separated from the rest of your hens the more likely that she may never become a member of your flock.

 

[Kimminykricket37]

Hens only get attacked by other flock members because the hen being attacked or bullied refuses to display the correct amount of respect towards their overlords.

A flock of hens is quite like a room full of catty teenagers who will often mercilessly bully, needle, and attack a child because they don't see eye to eye or are different in someway.

Your battery hen looks like she had her toes crushed maybe by a chicken tractor or perhaps by being stepped on. I will guarantee you this, the longer that she is separated from the rest of your hens the more likely that she may never become a member of your flock.

Just keeping the new two separated from the "old two" while we treat all their issues - we've only had them a few days so far and they can see each other through the coop

 

[Kimminykricket37]

I would give her vitamin therapy for a week. Just in case that is part of the issue. I am now blanking as to the which ones might be most helpful.

I would give her feet a nice long soak in warm epsom salt water. Maybe after a soak and a gentle cleaning a wound might be visible.

In the photo it looks like she is missing one toe? Maybe this a frostbite related injury. So I would also check the rest of her foot for circulation and warmth. Of course hot spots will mean infection.

Thanks for that. I have a feeling it's D3? How do you get a dose small enough for a chook though I wonder??

 

[Kimminykricket37]

She came to you that way? Given her age I don't thing there is much you can do to help her at this piont. Watch her and see how she does on it. Keep an eye on it for other possibly complications like toes dying. Hope someone can help you out.

Yes, I was hoping it was just the scaly mite causing the problem but it definitely looks like a bigger issue unfortunately.

 

[dawg53]

Curled toes are a riboflavin deficiency (vitamin B2,) which couldve been corrected a few days after hatch, but not now unless you want to take her to a vet and perform surgery. Sometimes it can be due to genetics or an injury.

 

[Kimminykricket37]

 

[Kimminykricket37]

The black bits are old scales still coming off from the scaly mite and there is Vasoline on the her foot in the second photo