4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[over easy]

does anyone have our problem? our chooks especially the pepperpots because of their longer feet are developing large clumps of frozen mud on their feet which makes life difficult for them to walk and must be very uncomfortable. they are mostly in the cube all day but still manage to get the mud on them, the last few sunday afternoons has been spent sittin in the garden freezing cold trying to get this frozen mass of them which can sometimes take ages. surely we are not the only ones this happens to, anyone got any ideas so i can have my sundays back,cheers

[mrsallen08]

My bantams get this 'muck' on their feet feathers! We have to trim them and give them a foot bath regularly. You may find it easier to soak off the mud?

Hope that helps!

[Woodcat]

if you can soak the mud off by standing them in a washing up bowl of warm water it comes off quite easily but if it gets left on somtimes they can get infected

[stoice]

Mine have had this since I've had them on hemcore. I think it's the fine fibres mixing with damp mud. Maybe aubiose is different but i can't get any locally. I have a covered run but they are on soil with has got wet with all the rain we've had. The bobbles cover my girls nails and it looks difficult to walk on them. I soak their feet for a while and carefully pick it all off (Very mucky job though). I'm hoping whrn i get my walk in run with slab floor i will no longer have this problem. Just be carefull not to pull it off their toes or be tempted to cut it off as their nails underneath could get easily damaged and could bleed.

[C&T]

My and also have this problem, and are on Hemcore as well.

 

But they don't have to be free ranging for very long before there feet are clean again, with all the scratching around in the garden and on (whats left!) of the grass etc.

 

When they have not been out for a few days for whatever reason, I do try and pick some of the bigger pieces off. One chicken is fairly happy for me to do it - the other one would prefer me to leave her feet well alone and give some of those nice crunchy dried meal worms instead!

[Old Speckled Hen]

does anyone have our problem? our chooks especially the pepperpots because of their longer feet are developing large clumps of frozen mud on their feet which makes life difficult for them to walk and must be very uncomfortable. they are mostly in the cube all day but still manage to get the mud on them, the last few sunday afternoons has been spent sittin in the garden freezing cold trying to get this frozen mass of them which can sometimes take ages. surely we are not the only ones this happens to, anyone got any ideas so i can have my sundays back,cheers

The answer may be to let them free range and scratch about as much as possible while you poo pick in the run.

when chooks scratch about in the grass,moss,flower beds etc etc they clean their feet