Black toes= unhappy chicken

[SmallfarmBEA]

Hi, I’m new to this but here goes... I have a chicken that I noticed a month ago wasn’t walking so I brought her inside and noticed that her feet were swollen with blisters and black spots. I called my vet (who doesn’t treat chickens) and got her on an antibiotic and give her regular eprom salt baths. Now the blisters are gone but three toes are black and shriveled. Any advice? The picture of the blisters is the before picture... they are gone now.

 

[FluffTheDuck]

Hmm.. @casportpony @Eggcessive @Miss Lydia

Welcome to BYC, first of all. The bold print is the advice.
So, it does look like it's bumblefoot.
You can read this message or go to the following places: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bumblefoot_(infection) - https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/category/injuries-diseases-cures.29/ - https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...our-chickens-with-surgery-graphic-pics.47705/ - https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/bumblefoot-in-your-flock.65979/ Now if you don't want to read those (which I recommend you do after you read this) read this:
What is Bumblefoot?
Bumblefoot is a bacterial infection and inflammatory reaction on the feet of birds, rodents, and rabbits. Ulcerative pododermatitis is referred to as "sore hocks" when it affects a rabbit and "Bumblefoot" when it affects a bird. The terms "sore hocks" and "Bumblefoot" are used interchangeably when describing ulcerative pododermatitis in rodents. The infection can usually be attributed to poor husbandry practices, therefore is much more likely to occur in captive animals than in those in the wild. It is caused by bacteria, namely strains of Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas and Escherichia coli (E. coli), with S. aureus being the most common cause of the infection. Bumblefoot is, perhaps, the largest cause of referral of birds of prey to aveterinary surgeon. Bumblefoot on birds of prey can be put into three broad types of infection. In the first type, a small reddened area, or sometimes a small shiny patch, can be seen on the foot. This is mostly caused by inappropriate perching (or perching for too long), or less likely, by badly fitted furniture, such as jesses that are too small. The second type is more serious, where an infection has penetrated the skin. The third type involves the bird having a severe distortion of the contours of the foot and/or the toes, resulting in considerable damage to the foot. A bird suspected of suffering from any degree of bumblefoot should be assessed by an avian vet and prescribed antibiotics if deemed necessary. Bumblefoot is a common infection for domesticated poultry and waterfowl such as chickens, ducks, and quail. Due to constant walking on hard, rough, or sharp surfaces, birds can develop small wounds on the bottom of their feet. These wounds are very susceptible to infection by opportunistic bacterial pathogens, chiefly Staphylococcus aureus. Treatment often requires opening the wound to drain the pus, soaking it in Epsom salts, and antibiotic treatment and local application of the antiseptic povidone-iodine as local dressing. In 2016, thermography was used to identify and evaluate bumblefoot lesions in 67 captive penguins from three species.
Care and Treatment Guide

Bumblefoot, also known as pododermatitis, is quite common in chickens.
When you think about chickens’ feet, they do even more work than your feet! They are up and about all day and then when they go to bed they still stand on their feet. It’s really not surprising that they do suffer from foot problems occasionally.
A chicken’s foot has sixteen small bones in it so that they have a great deal of flexibility with their foot and toes. As you can imagine, these bones are tiny and are subject to tremendous force at times.
Injury to the bones, or more commonly the skin of chickens’ feet, is a fairly common occurrence.
In this article, we are going to take a look at how chickens develop Bumblefoot, how you can treat it, and finally how you can prevent it from coming back.

There are a few causes of Bumblefoot:

• Obesity – excess weight bearing can put pressure on the feet
• Unequal weight bearing due to the lameness of one foot
• Decreased blood supply
• Standing for prolonged periods of time
• Trauma – this is the most common cause and the one we will talk about in depth.

The usual causative agent is the Staphylococcus aureus bacterium which can enter the skin through an abrasion, cut, splinter or another injury to the foot.
Staphylococcus will make itself right at home in a dirty encrusted area and set up an inflammatory response from the hen’s body. The growing conditions are ideal – it’s warm and moist – the bacteria have all the things it needs to start an infection cooking.
Chickens walk in all manner of dirty things – mud, puddles, dirty litter and poop so it’s little wonder that they get the occasional infection.
Usually, the first sign that anything is wrong is when you notice your bird limping or keeping her weight off of one particular foot, or just sitting for long periods of time.
You will need to inspect the hen’s foot in order to determine what is going on. Limping can be caused by an awkward landing, lameness or another injury to the leg or foot.
On closer inspection, you may see some redness or swelling of the foot in the first stages of infection and it may feel hot to the touch. The cardinal sign of a black scab, usually on the sole of the foot usually comes a bit later on when the infection is well established.
Treatment is needed – left untreated it will cause the bird pain and suffering and may result in death.
Severe cases of Bumblefoot can cause a bone infection (osteomyelitis) which can be very painful and difficult to treat effectively.
There are a few treatment options open to you.
For the treatment of mild cases, some veterinarians recommend soaking the foot in a solution of Tricide Neo. Tricide Neo is an antibiotic treatment used on fish to treat skin ulcers and ‘fish rot’. Apparently, it is quite effective on Bumblefoot in its early stages.
Epsom salt foot baths daily also help to soften up the skin of the foot.
For the treatment of Bumblefoot that has the black scab present, its accepted treatment was to ‘cut out’ the bumble. The bumble consists of an encapsulated (usually) abscess which can be full of hard waxy/cheesy substance.
You can stand the chicken in a warm Epsom salts bath or use iodine to clean the area really well before ‘surgery’.
The whole process consisted of wrapping the chicken in a large towel. This enables you to control her better. Make sure there is enough towel to cover her head keeping her in darkness – ensuring she is able to breathe.
Turn the bird onto her side or back and grasp the affected foot in your hand. Your dominant hand will be holding a scalpel. Wear disposable gloves as Staphylococcus can cause infections in humans too!
Cutting around the edge of the scab after disinfecting the area, angle the blade as if you are cutting upside-down pyramid. It will bleed a little so use gauze or clean tissue to keep the area blood free.
When you have cut around the black scab completely, use a pair of tweezers to pull out the scab. If you have done it correctly you will have what looks like a corn kernel.
The residual hole looks very deep, so clean it well, flush with a saline solution and then fill the hole with Neosporin ointment, add a little packing and bandage. Use Vetwrap or Ducktape to hold that bandage in place – you are done!
I should add that you should talk gently and soothingly to your hen all the time, it helps her to remain calm and not struggle with you.
Dressings should be changed daily to ensure the wound is healing.
The hen should be discouraged from roosting, if you can, get her to rest on soft bedding for a few days. Some hens just have to roost – if you have one of these try to pad out her usual perch.
I have done three successful excisions on my hens – traumatic for all involved. There really is no local anesthetic you can use since they cause heart problems with chickens.
Local veterinarians will do the same thing – they may use general anesthesia but some don’t since chickens tolerate anesthesia poorly.
Although my hens laid still the whole time and didn’t fuss, you just know it has got to hurt! Rushing through the procedure wasn’t an option since I didn’t want to have to do it a second time. We have outlined the process for removing a bumble, but if at all possible, please take your hen to the veterinarian for this treatment as they can prescribe suitable painkillers!
As with most things, prevention is better than cure. But sometimes even with the best intentions and care Bumblefoot can occur.

There are several things you can do to reduce the chances of Bumblefoot in your flock.

Clean Coop and Bedding

The first and most important is clean, fresh bedding in the coop. No, you don’t have to change it daily, but if you scoop the poop on a daily or every other day basis it prevents the build-up of bacteria. Ensure that the nest boxes are clean and scrape the perches if necessary, add a little fresh bedding with herbs if you like every few days.

Raking over the bedding helps to keep it fresh too – you don’t have to do this yourself. Throw a handful of scratch or cracked corn into the litter and the girls will do the work for you!

Check your Perches

The next thing is to check your perches for sharp edges and splinters. Run your hand over the surfaces of your perches and if they feel rough sand them down until they are smooth. There is no reason why you cannot use natural tree limbs for perches as long as there are no rough spots.

If you have large birds such as Jersey Giants, even Orpingtons, you should consider having your perches no more than 18-24 inches high.

Appropriate Diet

Feeding your ladies an appropriate diet with all the vitamins and minerals they need for a healthy body won’t prevent the occurrence of Bumblefoot, but it will help them fight off any infection and help with faster healing time.

While we are on nutrition – don’t overfeed your hens. There are certain breeds that have a propensity for becoming obese. These birds need to be monitored carefully as an overweight hen is more likely to suffer from foot or leg injuries because of her weight.

Make sure they have the correct amount of protein; too much protein can exacerbate foot or joint problems.

Foot Inspections

Regular foot inspections should be practiced. You should incorporate it into your monthly health checks, please see this article for further details on health checks.

By spotting a problem in the early stages you are saving yourself some time, money and effort, not to mention saving your hen from pain and suffering.

Try to remove any sharp objects or other potentially harmful debris from the coop and surroundings area – anywhere the chickens roam. I usually carry a small plastic bag with me when I’m wandering the yard. Nails, screws, bits of wire, even brittle plastic, can cause injury to the foot.


Summary



Bumblefoot is a very simple problem to deal with if discovered early on in its’ course; as the infection gets more entrenched it becomes more difficult to treat.

If you do regular health checks on your ladies you should be able to pick up on a bumble pretty early on and subsequently be able to treat it quickly and effectively.

Sometimes catching your bird is an exercise in patience and fortitude, but roosting time is best if you are suspicious of a problem.

Some sources recommend isolating the bird because technically staphylococcus can be infectious. I have never done this since the infection is localized and should be well covered to prevent picking at a wound. In general, I try to avoid isolating a bird as it can cause problems with re-integrating the afflicted hen.

Here’s hoping you never have to deal with this issue, but if you do, you are now knowledgeable enough to tackle it head on!


(I copied and pasted this from my article.)

 

[Kris5902]

@Blooie also had a chicken with bad frostbite that lost toes... could you post the other more recent pictures of the top of the foot as well? (Sorry my internet kept cutting out on me)

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

Hmm.. @casportpony @Eggcessive @Miss Lydia

Welcome to BYC, first of all. The bold print is the advice.
So, it does look like it's bumblefoot.
You can read this message or go to the following places: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bumblefoot_(infection) - https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/category/injuries-diseases-cures.29/ - https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...our-chickens-with-surgery-graphic-pics.47705/ - https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/bumblefoot-in-your-flock.65979/ Now if you don't want to read those (which I recommend you do after you read this) read this:
What is Bumblefoot?
Bumblefoot is a bacterial infection and inflammatory reaction on the feet of birds, rodents, and rabbits. Ulcerative pododermatitis is referred to as "sore hocks" when it affects a rabbit and "Bumblefoot" when it affects a bird. The terms "sore hocks" and "Bumblefoot" are used interchangeably when describing ulcerative pododermatitis in rodents. The infection can usually be attributed to poor husbandry practices, therefore is much more likely to occur in captive animals than in those in the wild. It is caused by bacteria, namely strains of Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas and Escherichia coli (E. coli), with S. aureus being the most common cause of the infection. Bumblefoot is, perhaps, the largest cause of referral of birds of prey to aveterinary surgeon. Bumblefoot on birds of prey can be put into three broad types of infection. In the first type, a small reddened area, or sometimes a small shiny patch, can be seen on the foot. This is mostly caused by inappropriate perching (or perching for too long), or less likely, by badly fitted furniture, such as jesses that are too small. The second type is more serious, where an infection has penetrated the skin. The third type involves the bird having a severe distortion of the contours of the foot and/or the toes, resulting in considerable damage to the foot. A bird suspected of suffering from any degree of bumblefoot should be assessed by an avian vet and prescribed antibiotics if deemed necessary. Bumblefoot is a common infection for domesticated poultry and waterfowl such as chickens, ducks, and quail. Due to constant walking on hard, rough, or sharp surfaces, birds can develop small wounds on the bottom of their feet. These wounds are very susceptible to infection by opportunistic bacterial pathogens, chiefly Staphylococcus aureus. Treatment often requires opening the wound to drain the pus, soaking it in Epsom salts, and antibiotic treatment and local application of the antiseptic povidone-iodine as local dressing. In 2016, thermography was used to identify and evaluate bumblefoot lesions in 67 captive penguins from three species.
Care and Treatment Guide

Bumblefoot, also known as pododermatitis, is quite common in chickens.
When you think about chickens’ feet, they do even more work than your feet! They are up and about all day and then when they go to bed they still stand on their feet. It’s really not surprising that they do suffer from foot problems occasionally.
A chicken’s foot has sixteen small bones in it so that they have a great deal of flexibility with their foot and toes. As you can imagine, these bones are tiny and are subject to tremendous force at times.
Injury to the bones, or more commonly the skin of chickens’ feet, is a fairly common occurrence.
In this article, we are going to take a look at how chickens develop Bumblefoot, how you can treat it, and finally how you can prevent it from coming back.

There are a few causes of Bumblefoot:

• Obesity – excess weight bearing can put pressure on the feet
• Unequal weight bearing due to the lameness of one foot
• Decreased blood supply
• Standing for prolonged periods of time
• Trauma – this is the most common cause and the one we will talk about in depth.

The usual causative agent is the Staphylococcus aureus bacterium which can enter the skin through an abrasion, cut, splinter or another injury to the foot.
Staphylococcus will make itself right at home in a dirty encrusted area and set up an inflammatory response from the hen’s body. The growing conditions are ideal – it’s warm and moist – the bacteria have all the things it needs to start an infection cooking.
Chickens walk in all manner of dirty things – mud, puddles, dirty litter and poop so it’s little wonder that they get the occasional infection.
Usually, the first sign that anything is wrong is when you notice your bird limping or keeping her weight off of one particular foot, or just sitting for long periods of time.
You will need to inspect the hen’s foot in order to determine what is going on. Limping can be caused by an awkward landing, lameness or another injury to the leg or foot.
On closer inspection, you may see some redness or swelling of the foot in the first stages of infection and it may feel hot to the touch. The cardinal sign of a black scab, usually on the sole of the foot usually comes a bit later on when the infection is well established.
Treatment is needed – left untreated it will cause the bird pain and suffering and may result in death.
Severe cases of Bumblefoot can cause a bone infection (osteomyelitis) which can be very painful and difficult to treat effectively.
There are a few treatment options open to you.
For the treatment of mild cases, some veterinarians recommend soaking the foot in a solution of Tricide Neo. Tricide Neo is an antibiotic treatment used on fish to treat skin ulcers and ‘fish rot’. Apparently, it is quite effective on Bumblefoot in its early stages.
Epsom salt foot baths daily also help to soften up the skin of the foot.
For the treatment of Bumblefoot that has the black scab present, its accepted treatment was to ‘cut out’ the bumble. The bumble consists of an encapsulated (usually) abscess which can be full of hard waxy/cheesy substance.
You can stand the chicken in a warm Epsom salts bath or use iodine to clean the area really well before ‘surgery’.
The whole process consisted of wrapping the chicken in a large towel. This enables you to control her better. Make sure there is enough towel to cover her head keeping her in darkness – ensuring she is able to breathe.
Turn the bird onto her side or back and grasp the affected foot in your hand. Your dominant hand will be holding a scalpel. Wear disposable gloves as Staphylococcus can cause infections in humans too!
Cutting around the edge of the scab after disinfecting the area, angle the blade as if you are cutting upside-down pyramid. It will bleed a little so use gauze or clean tissue to keep the area blood free.
When you have cut around the black scab completely, use a pair of tweezers to pull out the scab. If you have done it correctly you will have what looks like a corn kernel.
The residual hole looks very deep, so clean it well, flush with a saline solution and then fill the hole with Neosporin ointment, add a little packing and bandage. Use Vetwrap or Ducktape to hold that bandage in place – you are done!
I should add that you should talk gently and soothingly to your hen all the time, it helps her to remain calm and not struggle with you.
Dressings should be changed daily to ensure the wound is healing.
The hen should be discouraged from roosting, if you can, get her to rest on soft bedding for a few days. Some hens just have to roost – if you have one of these try to pad out her usual perch.
I have done three successful excisions on my hens – traumatic for all involved. There really is no local anesthetic you can use since they cause heart problems with chickens.
Local veterinarians will do the same thing – they may use general anesthesia but some don’t since chickens tolerate anesthesia poorly.
Although my hens laid still the whole time and didn’t fuss, you just know it has got to hurt! Rushing through the procedure wasn’t an option since I didn’t want to have to do it a second time. We have outlined the process for removing a bumble, but if at all possible, please take your hen to the veterinarian for this treatment as they can prescribe suitable painkillers!
As with most things, prevention is better than cure. But sometimes even with the best intentions and care Bumblefoot can occur.

There are several things you can do to reduce the chances of Bumblefoot in your flock.

Clean Coop and Bedding

The first and most important is clean, fresh bedding in the coop. No, you don’t have to change it daily, but if you scoop the poop on a daily or every other day basis it prevents the build-up of bacteria. Ensure that the nest boxes are clean and scrape the perches if necessary, add a little fresh bedding with herbs if you like every few days.

Raking over the bedding helps to keep it fresh too – you don’t have to do this yourself. Throw a handful of scratch or cracked corn into the litter and the girls will do the work for you!

Check your Perches

The next thing is to check your perches for sharp edges and splinters. Run your hand over the surfaces of your perches and if they feel rough sand them down until they are smooth. There is no reason why you cannot use natural tree limbs for perches as long as there are no rough spots.

If you have large birds such as Jersey Giants, even Orpingtons, you should consider having your perches no more than 18-24 inches high.

Appropriate Diet

Feeding your ladies an appropriate diet with all the vitamins and minerals they need for a healthy body won’t prevent the occurrence of Bumblefoot, but it will help them fight off any infection and help with faster healing time.

While we are on nutrition – don’t overfeed your hens. There are certain breeds that have a propensity for becoming obese. These birds need to be monitored carefully as an overweight hen is more likely to suffer from foot or leg injuries because of her weight.

Make sure they have the correct amount of protein; too much protein can exacerbate foot or joint problems.

Foot Inspections

Regular foot inspections should be practiced. You should incorporate it into your monthly health checks, please see this article for further details on health checks.

By spotting a problem in the early stages you are saving yourself some time, money and effort, not to mention saving your hen from pain and suffering.

Try to remove any sharp objects or other potentially harmful debris from the coop and surroundings area – anywhere the chickens roam. I usually carry a small plastic bag with me when I’m wandering the yard. Nails, screws, bits of wire, even brittle plastic, can cause injury to the foot.


Summary



Bumblefoot is a very simple problem to deal with if discovered early on in its’ course; as the infection gets more entrenched it becomes more difficult to treat.

If you do regular health checks on your ladies you should be able to pick up on a bumble pretty early on and subsequently be able to treat it quickly and effectively.

Sometimes catching your bird is an exercise in patience and fortitude, but roosting time is best if you are suspicious of a problem.

Some sources recommend isolating the bird because technically staphylococcus can be infectious. I have never done this since the infection is localized and should be well covered to prevent picking at a wound. In general, I try to avoid isolating a bird as it can cause problems with re-integrating the afflicted hen.

Here’s hoping you never have to deal with this issue, but if you do, you are now knowledgeable enough to tackle it head on!


(I copied and pasted this from my article.)

Bumblefoot aka abscess to sum it up. @staceyj might be able to help too

 

[casportpony]

Hi, I’m new to this but here goes... I have a chicken that I noticed a month ago wasn’t walking so I brought her inside and noticed that her feet were swollen with blisters and black spots. I called my vet (who doesn’t treat chickens) and got her on an antibiotic and give her regular eprom salt baths. Now the blisters are gone but three toes are black and shriveled. Any advice? The picture of the blisters is the before picture... they are gone now.

Welcome to BYC! Can you post recent pictures?

 

[Eggcessive]

Your hen has frostbite. Can we see a picture of the top of both feet? The black shriveled toes will eventually fall off, and that takes a month or so from the frostbite episode. I would apply betadine (povidone iodine) to the feet inside, and when it dries she can go outside if you haven’t been keeping her inside. Sorry that this happened, but when they get a foot wet or are rosting on emtal during freezing weather, it happens. She will probably recover.

 

[DobieLover]

Your hen has frostbite. Can we see a picture of the top of both feet? The black shriveled toes will eventually fall off, and that takes a month or so from the frsotbite episode. I would apply betadine (povidone iodine) to the feet inside, and when it dries she can go outside if you haven’t been keeping her inside. Sorry that this happened, but when they get a foot wet or are rosting on emtal during freezing weather, it happens. She will probably recover.

It's on her New Member Introduction thread:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/newbie-with-a-sick-chicken.1295121/

 

[Eggcessive]

Thanks Dobielover. Here is the picture from the OP’s other thread of the top of the foot:

It looks like there may be a toe tip or two on the other foot as well that is frostbitten. Epsom salts soaks to the feet would be good if you can keep her inside where it is warm. Then dab or spray betadine or something like Vetericyn Spray on her feet. Do not rub or massage her feet since that will further damage them. I would place her on an old clean towel for bedding to keep her clean.

 

[SmallfarmBEA]

Hi all thank you for the advice! The above picture is from today so we won’t get much more recent. She is inside in a box. Bedding changed daily. Feet wrapped at night with antibiotic ointment. Epsom salt bath daily and betadine every other day. She’s improving daily but I just want to make sure that I’m doing everything that I can for her. I’m in an area where we have no vet that treats chickens but my regular vet gave me antibiotics for her. In the coop the other girls were picking on her so I suspect that’s where this got started. She picks her feet so I’ve been keeping them wrapped at night but she hates it and it’s a pain to change. Huge bits of shin came off in today’s bath and beautiful new skin was underneath so that gives me hope. I’m almost positive that she will loose at least 1 entire toe and half of two others but no new blackening has happened in the last few days. She’s an amerucana so her legs are naturally darker which is probably why I missed it. (The black spots aren’t noticeable until you pick her up) none of my other girls are effected.

 

[SmallfarmBEA]

Welcome to BYC! Can you post recent pictures?