Single hen

[Plum]

The last three days I've found the girls have lumps on their toes. It's actually thread bound round each claw with mud or poo. I've piddled it off but can't work out where its come from. Any ideas. Checked hemcore and there's no fluff there.

I don't mind taking it off (its a bit like cleaning belly buttons) but worried if I forget it may damage them.

[HENthusiastic]

how very bizare! Have they got little sewing kits hidden somewhere? No sensible ideas I'm afraid. Hope somebody comes up with something for you.

[Egluntyne]

No idea...sorry.

 

My girls are on Aubiose which is very similar to Hemcore and I've never encountered this.

[mostin]

How strange . Do you have any tough grasses or reed-like plants nearby as fibres from those can be quite string like?

[Plum]

OH reckons its old moss from the grass. So I'm doing a close watch tomorrow to see when it appears. Was going to today but when I got home from work they were out having fun and it was too late. Their mystery knots were there again.

[HENthusiastic]

keep us posted

[Plum]

Well they have been out in the garden all day and claws all clean, well a bit of mud under the nails so it must be the hemcore.

[splodge88]

Our chickens don't have hemcore, but where they scratch the grass so much, it kinda turns bits of it into hay...which gets wrapped on their feet. Not really fluff but string...

[Plum]

Going to put them away now and if it builds up now I will know. Hen detective.

[C&T]

Our's get this - and I think it is the Hemcore. It is quite fibrous, and does seem to get a bit tangled around their feet.

 

Normally it comes off with no problem at all once they have been scratching around for a while in the garden, but yesterday Ginger's feet were so bad we had to soak them in water before we could pick it off.

 

She actually seemed to quite like it, and Fred was so jealous we had to let her stand in the warm water as well!!