I have a Cochin Bantam and he's having problems with his feet feathers.

[Aquabubblez13]

I'm a beginner with chickens but the feathers keep on getting covered in poop and mud, then grass and woodchips stick to his feet. We just got him recently and we have a wooden box and my other chicken likes to roost on the edge but he can't really seem to get a grip and he falls off, I think his feathers are getting in the way. I tried to soak his feet in water but he tried to get away. Would it be ok to clip them or what should I try to do?

Thank you so much!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

If you trim the feathers, be aware that there are "blood feathers" where if you cut one, he could bleed to death. You may want to have blood stop powder on hand if you try this (I don't recommend it).

For my feather footed breeds I always have tried to alleviate the mud problem. Pouring sand over the really muddy spots helps for my pens (around the coop and waterers, for example).

Definitely I'd get his feet clean by soaking them and spraying them off. Then sand over the muddy spots. Feathered feet are more work sometimes.