Bumblefoot

Bumblefoot is quite common in home reared and free range chickens and can be very painful - even life threatening if left unchecked. Here I explain what to look for as well as the cure and prevention.

The symptoms

An abscess forms in the bottom of the foot and is often mistaken for calluses. If it is Bumblefoot it will be swollen and often hard tissue builds up. Next, the bird will begin to limp and in more far gone cases you will see blood coming from the foot. Bumblefoot in chicken can seriously deform the feet unless picked up early, in which case the treatment is pretty straightforward.

The Causes

Perches - Bumblefoot starts with a bruise on the foot that later progresses to small injuries that then get infected. It is caused mainly by the practice of chickens perching anywhere and everywhere they fancy. Perching on wire, living in a chicken run where the floor is made of wire and perching on narrow edges and sharpened corners - all these are major causes of Bumblefoot so it is important to choose a professionally designed and built home for your birds such as this chicken house.

Notice in the chicken house linked to above how there are no places for the chicken to perch that could harm their feet apart from on the actual designated perches inside the hen house? If you build your own chicken coop you should plan the design accordingly.

Poor Nutrition - Bumblefoot is also likely to occur when there is inadequate Vitamin A in the system. Seeds, a chicken favorite is low in vitamin A. The vitamin promotes resistance to parasite infection as well as promoting digestion and appetite. An obvious sign that the chicken lacks vitamin A is when the plumage loses its common luster, becomes pale and appears coarse. There's also the lack of colour intensity in the cere and there will be a yellowish and scaly accumulation on the beak.

Infections - The tiny injuries and lacerations on the undersides of the feet is a good breeding zone for parasites and bacteria that when left will eat thru to the bone, become acutely painful and even endanger the life of the chicken.

How To Prevent It Happening To Your Chickens

Provide good perching areas within the coop and replace the chicken run if the floor is made from wire. If feasible, have perches in the hen house with different diameters so that the hens have the option to find a perch that they are more comfortable on.

Chicken will eat almost anything and so they respond well to vitamin augmentation. Provide food that's loaded in Vitamin A. Carrot for one is a very good source that the chicken likes. Greens are also excellent for the vitamin and so are potatoes. Introduce vegetable and orange peel to their diet as chicken loves this. It's been shown time and again that once the vitamin inadequacy is resolved, Bumblefoot heals.

The Treatment

Antibiotics will be required to heal Bumblefoot once it has set in. When the infection is not serious the method is to wash the feet first in luke warm water for 10 minutes before applying the lotion or the antibiotic.

If the Bumblefoot is more advanced, soak the infected foot in warmed water for 10 minutes and then with a pointed knife carefully clear away the scabs and the puss until you are left with a clean and clear hole, apply the cream or the antibiotic, bandage the foot or get some raps from your vet and repeat the process each day until you are sure the Bumblefoot is healed.