Anyone know what this was?

ClarkLady

Hatching
Jul 19, 2020
4
2
9
One of our hens has been limping on and off for a bit now. We did notice a toe missing (we assumed frostbite after a cold winter?) and some swelling. It seemed to get better and then worse for about 2 weeks now. We had caught her a few times looking for any black scabs (suspected bumble foot) but saw nothing except a small cut on a toe that we treated with tar (it did not look infected and it seemed to heal fine). We checked her again yesterday and saw this, the poor thing. She was clearly in so much pain and we do not have vets who deal with birds in the area so we put her down. We did not know what else we could do and it looks like a major infection. Anyone’s input on what happened and what can be done to treat (before euthanizing becomes the only humane thing and without incurring huge vet bills) something like this in the future would be greatly appreciated. Our birds have been such a joy and this was terrible to see. This was our first case of something like this in 2 years of having them. Still quite inexperienced 😕
 

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Probably frostbite in combination with a very bad case of scaly leg mites. It was best that you put her down due to the mites eating tissue in her legs and feet. Scaly leg mites can literally eat through a leg or foot.
In the future, if you see raised rough looking scales on a chickens leg or foot with debris under the scales, apply Nu-Stock on the legs and feet as well as on roosts inside the coop.
 
Probably frostbite in combination with a very bad case of scaly leg mites. It was best that you put her down due to the mites eating tissue in her legs and feet. Scaly leg mites can literally eat through a leg or foot.
In the future, if you see raised rough looking scales on a chickens leg or foot with debris under the scales, apply Nu-Stock on the legs and feet as well as on roosts inside the coop.
Thank you! We now see that just about all of our birds have scaly leg mites and are treating them. I feel so bad. Hate having animals in pain for no reason.
 

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