Why do ducks set Bumblefoot?

[Spiase20]

So, I know about the various bumblefoot treatment and antibiotics. What I am curious about is why do ducks keep getting bumblefoot?

My Pekin had it first, took him to the vet and had him on antibiotics. Then 2 months later, he got it again. Another vet visit and antibiotics.

2 months pass by and now all my ducks have it! 2 with very mild, antibiotics will only be needed. One duck is a little more developed (2 small black dots in swollen bump), and the last one has more severe (2 bigger black dots).

I clean their coop twice a day, they have standing kitchen mats, rubber mats, child water proof mats on the flooring and a pond inside their coop.

We did everything we could to give them soft ground and opportunity to swim alot.

When I clean their coop, I do let them outside to roam about and forage. Is this when they may be hurting their feet?

Just frustrated that nothing seems to prevent it! Luckily o have pet insurance for them.

How often do other people encounter bumblefoot with their ducks?

Pictures of the coop.

 

[Isaac 0]

Bumblefoot or sometimes called Podermatis most commonly occurs with waterfowl when they are kept on a rough, hard, or wet substrate for an extended period of time, it can also be caused, by a nutritionally deficient diet, obesity, inactivity, poor hygiene, or injury to the feet which acts a gateway for the bacteria to enter through the skin.

 

[Spiase20]

I make sure they have a good diet. They get normal duck feed in which I add to. Grain, oats, some seeds, crumbled corn, lentils, vitamin pellets, vitamin quack snacks, and meal worms dried. Leaves from our veggie garden. Every other day some melons.Then 2 times a week, vitamins in their water.

Plus I let them out two times a day to forage.

I think it's from them being outside, they like to waddle around, go into the bushes, etc. Maybe they hurt their little feet that way.

I'm sure it doesn't help when they run after me whenever they see me carrying food.

 

[Miss Lydia]

We live in rocky terrain it’s the mountains In NC and no way to change it. Then all the rain we’ve been getting, so far in 16 yrs I have only had 1 duck with bumble. Some of my chickens have had it also. When my Runner had it last year because of the way it presented itself we took her to the vet. She remarked about my husbandry well not much I can do about it. I keep their walk ways clean and their coops clean but I can not pick up all the rocks these mts make even though I’ve tried. I think it maybe just part of life when keeping domestic poultry.You do the best you can in caring for them and take care of these issues when they arise.

 

[DuckyDonna]

What a nice set up you have. I don't really see any reason that you've got continual cases of bumble.

@Miss Lydia is very experienced with this but her ducks climb up a mountainside every day. Maybe she can help.

 

[Miss Lydia]

They just have tender feet and all it takes is a small cut scrap thorn splinter to get staff started with what they walk through daily. I wish it wasn’t so easy for them to get it.

 

[Spiase20]

My God, easy it is. Makes me feel awful whenever they get it. I try to check every month. Just amazed how fast it happens.

 

[Spiase20]

A vet once told me that some variety of grass is sharper than others and ducks can get some paper like cuts on their feet from it.

It surprised me!

 

[NatJ]

I try to check every month. Just amazed how fast it happens.

Plus I let them out two times a day to forage.

I think it's from them being outside, they like to waddle around, go into the bushes, etc. Maybe they hurt their little feet that way.

Do they go out in the winter and the summer? Does it seem to change with different seasons?

You could try keeping them locked in for a month or two (they will hate it.) See if they get more bumblefoot during that time, or not. Then you would know if there is a problem inside their pen or only outside. (Fewer options can make it easier to figure out what things are causing the problem.)

 

[DucksOhio]

What’s frustrating to me is how difficult it is to treat bumblefoot. It’s such a long process, for me, it’s several visits to the vet and lots of medicine, and often surgery required. And for the poor duck, weeks of have to stay inside, which is torture for them.

If I could put shoes on their feet permanently I would.