{"id":3257,"date":"2020-08-11T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-08-11T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/chikchikchicken.com\/?p=3257"},"modified":"2020-08-14T08:10:01","modified_gmt":"2020-08-14T13:10:01","slug":"bumblefoot-in-chickens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chikchikchicken.com\/index.php\/2020\/08\/11\/bumblefoot-in-chickens\/","title":{"rendered":"Bumblefoot in Chickens"},"content":{"rendered":"
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One of our chickens has bumblefoot. Since chickens use their feet to explore and forage, I knew, at some point, we\u2019d have to deal with it. It\u2019s inevitable that they will damage or cut their footpad and develop bumblefoot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. I may earn a small commission on products purchased at no additional cost to you.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So what exactly is Bumblefoot?\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Bumblefoot in chickens also known as footpad dermatitis or pododermatitis refers to any inflammatory or degenerative condition of the chicken’s foot. defined by Chicken DVM<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In layman’s terms, it\u2019s a staph infection. It usually starts as a cut or puncture wound that get\u2019s infected. Like I said early, chickens use their feet for everything, including walking through poop. No wonder it gets infected! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are different levels of severity or grades of bumblefoot in chickens. In the first grade, you may notice redness of the footpad or it could be shiny where the top layer of skin has worn off. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2nd grade is a surface lesion without swelling. Clara has one that we are monitoring. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3rd grade is abscess with swelling and possibly draining<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4th grade is infection and swelling usually involving deep tissues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Final grade is deformity, crippling, and unable to use. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If Bumblefoot goes untreated it could cause a bone infection, blood infection, or death. Additionally, it impedes your chicken’s ability to forage for food or get away from a predator<\/strong>.<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since we only have six chickens, it\u2019s pretty easy to check. Bumblefoot is most recognizable as a scab or black dot on the bottom of the foot. They may also have swelling between the toes. If your birds are hard to catch, checking at night when they are roosting or sleepy is a  great time to do this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 I noticed Clara\u2019s about a month ago and was just monitoring. It wasn\u2019t slowing her down at all. Then I started to notice her limping and saw the swelling on her pad with a scab. Classic bumblefoot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Treat Bumblefoot in Chickens?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you catch it early, bumblefoot is very treatable.

If it’s grade four or five, you may need to contact a vet. However, I know many people don\u2019t have access to a poultry vet or can\u2019t afford it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get all your supplies ready:<\/p>\n\n\n\n