Infected red line up legs! What’s happening??

[Cryss]

I have just recently started having a problem with infected foot feather follicles (say that 3 times fast!). This includes a swollen thick red line up the feathered side of the leg. Then I noticed a non foot feathered bird with a very thin red line in the same area so now I’m thinking whatever causes the line is also causing the infected foot feather follicles rather than vice versa.

I quoted myself to explain what’s happening. Please read and advise if you can.

 

[MysteryChicken]

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I quoted myself to explain what’s happening. Please read and advise if you can.

Check the feather follicles on the body? It maybe Feather Follicle tumors, which can happen with a different strain of Marek's Disease.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

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View attachment 2854248
I quoted myself to explain what’s happening. Please read and advise if you can.

Well, the line on the clean leg is a sign of virility. All males have it, and I think females too.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Well, the line on the clean leg is a sign of virility. All males have it, and I think females too.

Yes, the red/pink line indicates hormones are flowing. A male will get pink between his toes when hormones are very high.

Females do have it too, just not as prominent, unless their feet get cold, then it really shows.

 

[coach723]

The second bird looks fine, that looks like normal pigmentation in the legs. Sometimes that redness may be more pronounced due to hormones, especially in roosters/cockerels.
For the other, are both legs affected? It does look irritated. I had one feather footed bird that got very irritated like this, particularly during molt. I finally resorted to coconut oil to sooth and wrapping with vetwrap (just tight enough to stay on) to protect the shafts from getting bumped around and irritated. It became a yearly thing with him. His leg feathers were also very prone to breakage, so don't know if it was genetic or what, all my others have not had this issue.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Yes, that second bird has normal legs. It's a hormonal thing. But I'd be worried, too, if I'd dealt with the follicle infections!

 

[Tonyroo]

Does the swollen leg feel hot?
It's looks inflamed and irritated.

 

[Cryss]

The second leg is Albert, my big red rooster. When you expand the photo the line looks like it’s flaky. I wondered if that was a problem. As for the inflamed leg that is my banty rooster Henry. He is the only one showing inflammation. I have hens with foot feathers that have never had a problem. I’ve been washing Henry’s legs every night. I’ve encouraged a couple of feathers to come through the skin. Last night 2 white spots actually opened and I expressed some pus and possibly a feather tip. Not sure of the best thing to put on them. ( btw the other foot has this but only on the foot, not up the leg). I’ve tried VetRx but it’s drippy. Last night I mixed Vaseline with VetRx and applied it. I’ll see later how that faired. I also have on hand Coconut Oil, Silverquine and PRID. Any thoughts on these? I have been afraid to wrap because touching his feathers are painful. Some are very rigid, not flexible like normal feathers. Maybe I should wrap. Then again removing vetwrap can produce some gripping and tugging which I worry would really cause pain. I’m open to suggestions.

 

[Aunt Angus]

The second leg is Albert, my big red rooster. When you expand the photo the line looks like it’s flaky. I wondered if that was a problem. As for the inflamed leg that is my banty rooster Henry. He is the only one showing inflammation. I have hens with foot feathers that have never had a problem. I’ve been washing Henry’s legs every night. I’ve encouraged a couple of feathers to come through the skin. Last night 2 white spots actually opened and I expressed some pus and possibly a feather tip. Not sure of the best thing to put on them. ( btw the other foot has this but only on the foot, not up the leg). I’ve tried VetRx but it’s drippy. Last night I mixed Vaseline with VetRx and applied it. I’ll see later how that faired. I also have on hand Coconut Oil, Silverquine and PRID. Any thoughts on these? I have been afraid to wrap because touching his feathers are painful. Some are very rigid, not flexible like normal feathers. Maybe I should wrap. Then again removing vetwrap can produce some gripping and tugging which I worry would really cause pain. I’m open to suggestions.

That does look painful, poor guy. I wonder if epsom soaks might help with the inflammation.

I had a Cochin hen get a couple of infected feather shafts when molting. I just did what you did: helped them through the skin, expressed any pus, and applied ointment. But it was only 2 or 3 feathers.

 

[coach723]

I like coconut oil personally. It's calming to inflamed tissue and mildly antibacterial. When I wrap the legs with co wrap or vet wrap I only wrap firmly enough that it stays in place, not really tight at all. I have bandage scissors, they have a flat, blunt tip on the bottom and they slide easily under bandaging so you can cut it off without any pulling. I use them for bumblefoot bandage removal also, you can get them in many sizes from very large, to very small like nail scissors almost.
Another thought, which won't hurt anything, is to try sugardine. I've used it on really stubborn bumblefoot with very good results. A poultice of that applied to the leg and wrapped might help draw out some of that around the feather folicles. It's simply a paste of plain white sugar and betadine. It's used a lot on horse hoove issues. I tried it out of desperation on a really bad case of bumblefoot that absolutely nothing else worked for. It was surprisingly effective.