Luvachicken Posted August 26, 2016 Share Posted August 26, 2016 Bumblefoot has come back to my chickens Gemma went to the vet yesterday because she had pus in her foot which I was quite worried about. My 2 lavender pekins have very small scabs on their feet which are getting smaller but today I noticed that one of them has a small black dot on the inside bottom of one of her toes. It didn't seem to wash off so I'm thinking she has bumblefoot that is not in the middle of her foot. I have tried everything I can - sieving the soil to remove stones, changing the ladder rungs and hubby smoothed off the rounded edges they had for their perches so they were flat but bumblefoot still comes along. Now I'm wondering if smoothing the edges has caused the bumblefoot on the toe I asked the vet if pekins were more at risk of getting it as my plymouth rock has never had it and he said it was because of the way they were bred and remarked about how many feathers Gemma has around her feet, but I don't know if that makes any difference. I have made myself feel sick tonight worrying about what I have done and what else I could change. I don't know what else I can do apart from maybe buying some spare Omlet rungs and using them to cover their perches. I don't like to see a problem keep coming back but it does. Anyone have any advice or reassurance ? They have a soil based omlet run with some paving slabs in an adjoining wooden run which has a wooden edged sand pit kind of thing, filled with more soil. Thanks xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted August 27, 2016 Share Posted August 27, 2016 When all is going well it's great but when we have issues its horrendous. When our dogs/cats etc get ill we don't blame ourselves but when our hens are unwell we torment ourselves!!! I honesty don't know what else you could do, you seem to have been horribly unlucky. If you suspect it's the perches have you thought about those foamy insulation pipe covers...http://www.screwfix.com/p/economy-pipe-insulation-15-x-13mm-x-1m/72357 So sorry your feeling so bad but please don't, you haven't don't anything wrong!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted August 27, 2016 Share Posted August 27, 2016 Unfortunately chickens eat foam insulation and get digestive impactions. We had all the foam insulation taken of polytunnel frames whilst they were on the floor awaiting assembly. We also have a lot of bumble foot cases. We've had to reduce all the coop perch heights to 6 inches and that has solved the problem. They seem OK coming down the coop steps and landing on soil, but we have one persistent problem (infected) that we just can't heal. Must add all the problems are with Wyandottes. They are all over 6 years old and too fat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted August 27, 2016 Author Share Posted August 27, 2016 Thank you both The perches they have aren't very high so I don't think it's that. Its a shame the insulation stuff wouldn't work because that is kind of soft but firm. I wonder if there is anything else out there like that. I was hopeful that the extra blob I found on Zoe, lavender pekin, washed off, then I realised that I was washing the wrong foot and the tiny blob was still there on the other foot. The vet gave me Hibiscrub to wash Gemma's feet as he said it was good at killing germs so I have been washing all of their feet with it. I will look at other ways things can be changed in the run and see if OH can help me come up with anything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted August 27, 2016 Share Posted August 27, 2016 Can you cover the perches in hemp rope? I used it on the ladder when my original 3 were wee little things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted August 27, 2016 Author Share Posted August 27, 2016 Can you cover the perches in hemp rope? I used it on the ladder when my original 3 were wee little things. That could be a good idea Would it not be too prickly ? I imagine it gives a smooth but uneven surface. Could be worth a try. Thanks Cat tails Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted August 27, 2016 Share Posted August 27, 2016 I actually crocheted little mats to fit on the rungs. But you could just wrap it around it, I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted August 27, 2016 Share Posted August 27, 2016 Luvachicken it seems to me that it extremely unlikely to be anything you're doing. I wonder if it's just that once they've had it once they're really susceptible to getting it reoccurring? Please don't beat yourself up about it, I think of everyone on here you may be the person who works the hardest to make sure everything is perfect for her girls. We have hibiscrub which we use on any animal / human injuries that need to be kept clean - it's brilliant stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted August 28, 2016 Author Share Posted August 28, 2016 Thanks mullethunter for your support I think it could be something I have done because Zoe didn't have the spot on her toe before, and now I've made hubby take the rounded edges off the perches, it is there When they had it before, I promised myself to check the girls feet at least once a week and I haven't done. Once it cleared up I kind of forgot and now I wish I hadn't. You could be right that some are more susceptible to it than others, a bit like the cold sore virus I suppose. I just wish it would go away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BridieLou Posted August 30, 2016 Share Posted August 30, 2016 What about hose pipe cut to cover the ladder rungs? Might not be big enough, but they shouldn't eat it and it'd be a little softer and warmer on the tootsies? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted August 31, 2016 Author Share Posted August 31, 2016 What about hose pipe cut to cover the ladder rungs? Might not be big enough, but they shouldn't eat it and it'd be a little softer and warmer on the tootsies? Yep, that could work if it could fit. Hubby says to see how their feet are for now before we do any thing else Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted September 8, 2016 Share Posted September 8, 2016 Hibiscrub is good, as is Animalintex, which can be used to make a warm/hot drawing poultice if you bind it onto the foot. Bumblefoot isn't very common, so look at their lifestyle, feeding habits and environment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted September 8, 2016 Author Share Posted September 8, 2016 Have been washing all their feet with the Hibiscrub and both Zoe and Chloe are 99% clear of any scabs. Gemma has finished her antibiotics and still has a bit of a scab on one foot (that had the pus) that I'm hoping will soon come off. I've cleaned the run floor with very hot soapy water each night and we've changed all the rungs before. I've sifted all the stones out. I'm running out of things to change as I can't work out what is causing it. Strangely my heaviest pekin doesn't have it and nor does the buff Plymouth rock They have never had it whereas the other 3 have all had it before sometimes more than once. How would feeding habits cause a problem ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted September 8, 2016 Share Posted September 8, 2016 If they get overweight, this can put extra pressure on their feet and cause pressure sores Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted September 8, 2016 Author Share Posted September 8, 2016 If they get overweight, this can put extra pressure on their feet and cause pressure sores Ah, thank you, had a dumb moment for a minute Mine get weighed regularly and don't get many treats and I don't think they are too heavy, possibly a bit light if anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
