PLEASE HELP! Chickens foot fell off!

[Sabrina-Sky]

First off I just want to say sorry if this is not in the right place or somthing. I just started like 2 minutes ago on this site, because I need your help! My chickens feet recently turned black and today one fell off!! There was no blood that I saw but still Im freaking out! I love her to death and Im scared that the other foot is going to fall off too! Can a chicken survive with NO feet? What should I do?
She is drinking and eating good and she was even mad when I wouldnt let her out to run around like I ussually do. She is about 5 months old! Please help and again Im sorry if this is not in the correct place or somthing but I just want her to be okay!! Thanks so much!!

 

[scratch'n'peck]

You posted in the right place. I'm sorry about you poor chicken's foot. My guess is that she got frost bite on her feet, which isn't all that common unless the chicken had wet feet. Chickens are pretty good about keeping their feet warm with their belly feathers. If you live in a place like Florida then my guess is completely wrong. This was the first thing that came to mind because roosters can get frost bite on their combs and the tips may turn black and fall off. Unfortunately the black sounds like the tissue is dead. If only a couple of toes fall off her other foot hopefully she will get around okay. I have heard about chickens making it around with a stump where the foot should be.

 

[un-named543]

I hope she is OK. One stump might be OK for her to get around, but if the other foot falls off I don't know if she can get around....wonder what caused it.

 

[LooneyGoonie]

Sorry to hear about your bird. I know exactly how you feel. I had a guinea who got frostbitten feet and I didn't notice until they were hard and black. I brought him inside and had to hand feed and water him for several weeks until he was able to eat and drink by himself. I'm not sure how long it was before his feet fell off, more like flew off because I was holding him as he kicked to try to get away. Anyhow, he had only a stump on one leg and his toes up to the first "kunckle" on his other foot. He lived about 2 more years after that. The only issue I had was that he had to live in a cage in the house in the winter because he couldn't take the cold weather we have.

In this picture, the parts of his toes that are black are what fell off. The rest of his legs and feet were fine. He ended up being able to run and keep up with the other guinea I had.

 

[Sabrina-Sky]

Thanks for all of the responses and Yes I live in MI so we get pretty cold winters. This winter wasn't so bad though and my one other chicken was completely fine... I forgot to mention (prob because I was freaking out) that the same hen also had somewhat crooked toes that happened shortly before they turned black so I was wondering if maybe cirrculation to feet could have been bad?

 

[LooneyGoonie]

I think my guinea's feet might have had poor circulation, as he was the only one in the flock affected, as you said yours was. Hopefully your hen gets around as good as my guinea, Mike, did!

Does it look like she'll have enough of a stub/foot to walk on? It's amazing how a bird learns to adapt to a handicap.

 

[Sabrina-Sky]

It certainly is amazing how they adapt, and Im hoping myself that my hen has enough of a stub to walk on. I am going to examine it further tommorow to see if I can do anything more to help my hen out!

 

[LooneyGoonie]

When my guinea walked on a hard surface, he sounded like he had a wooden leg. You knew he was coming when you heard a "step-thump, step-thump."

 

[Sabrina-Sky]

I just checked on her a little while ago, and she seemed to be doing fine. I even helped her sit outside for a little bit with her sister to peck at some bugs. She uses her wings a lot as support to balance her. And the other foot isn't looking save-able.. I can imagine that she will be able to manage not having one foot... but two? Ahhh.... I don't know what to do...

 

[un-named543]

Please keep us posted