Great. Another Resume Entry.
July 29th, 2009Well, along with routinely sticking my finger up hens’ butts, I can now add performing minor surgery to my ever growing Chicken Ownership Resume - and to the list of things I never thought I would do.
A few days ago, I noticed poor Duke’s foot appeared to be a little swollen. Not the entire foot - just the bottom pad of his foot. He didn’t seem in any pain and he walked and ran as usual. But the next day, I noticed that his swollen pad seemed to be getting a little larger. I picked him up and examined the pad of his foot and found exactly what I was hoping I would NOT find. A small black scab in the middle of the swelling. Duke has Bumblefoot.
Bumblefoot is a type of Staph infection on the pad of the foot. Apparently, fowl, Guinea Pigs, and other creatures can get it. I’ve read many posts on the Backyard Chicken forums about chickens that got Bumblefoot but, to be honest, I never really paid a whole lot of attention while reading them because this was outside the realm of anything I had experienced within my flock - and ever hope to.
I decided to google Bumblefoot and treatments and interestingly enough, the Backyard Chicken (BYC) forums provided the most detailed information. Especially this information by Eggcentric. I am extremely thankful to Eggcentric and others for providing so much detail about diagnosing and treating Bumblefoot. If you own chickens, I believe you will find BYC an invaluable resource.
Although I was very unhappy to learn I was going to have to cut into Duke’s foot, I did feel confident that I knew what I needed to do and, in the end, Duke was going to be better off. I will mention that I spent some time calling every vet clinic in this area begging for someone to handle this for me, but each phone call ended exactly the same. “I’m sorry. We just don’t treat chickens.”
[NOTE: I am NOT going to include any graphic, nasty pictures. But I am going to discuss how this little surgery went. If you are extremely queasy, or eating as you read this, you may want to navigate away from this post right now. I honestly don't think the description is disturbing, but I don't want anyone hating me for not telling them I was going to describe a little bit of cutting and pus. And, lest you think I just enjoy writing about gross things, let me assure you that I am posting the below in the hopes that chicken owners who have never treated Bumblefoot may gain a little insight from my experience - which is, of course, different than the experiences I've read about because my chickens do NOTHING by the books.]
So, I went out at daybreak, grabbed Duke off his roost and said “Well, boy. It looks like we’re going to spend some quality time together this morning.” I won’t repeat his response.
All I can say is that I really wish Duke and his Bumblefoot had read the information on what a Bumblefoot “core” is supposed to look like and how it’s supposed to behave. After a long time of digging out the scab with an Exacto knife, the “core” I expected to find and easily remove was not there. Instead, I found strands of rubbery pus. Lots of strands of rubbery pus. And blood.
I have to believe the strands of pus were indeed the “core” I have read so much about - but it was not the single mass that I expected. Each time I inserted the tweezers into the opening, I would pull out another strand of rubbery pus. Eventually, I could find no more of it. And trust me when I say that Duke would tell you I really tried to find more. Poor guy. He did amazingly well and only jerked his foot a couple of times. I was very proud of him.
OK, so we got all the nasty stuff out of the foot. And then I was supposed to fill the deep hole with antibiotic cream. There was only one slight problem. There was no hole. What probably should have been a hole was filled with blood and nothing I could do would change that. So I blopped on a big wad of antibiotic cream and then gently pushed some of it into the blood filled hole with the tweezers.
Then I placed some sterile pads on the bottom of Dukes foot and bandaged his entire foot and leg. I was careful to wrap the bandage in between each of his toes so he can still walk and roost. I also hoped it would leave his foot feeling somewhat normal so that he wouldn’t pick the bandaging off.
I decided to keep Duke in a cage in the chicken run until he heals. I really have no where else to put the cage because I’m afraid it’s too warm in any of our outbuildings. Keeping him in the house is a definite no-go. We’ve tried that before. Apparently, when Duke gets unhappy about being in a cage, he crows. Loudly. Morning. Noon. And. Night. Even in pitch black darkness, Duke crows when he is in a cage in the house. So keeping him in the house is not a good idea.
But with all the pecking order issues we’ve got going on right now, keeping Duke in a cage in the chicken run didn’t work out very well either. Bobby Lee tormented poor Duke unmercifully. He ran around and around the cage trying to peck Duke through the cage bars and when I finally had enough of Bobby Lee’s aggravation, I let Duke out of the cage. I’ve been watching him all day and he’s not picking at his bandages. He kind of walks a little funny now, but I’m not sure the foot really hurts him as much as the big ol’ bandage annoys him.
If you look closely, you may be able to see Duke’s bandaged foot in this picture:
It was raining and I didn’t want to get my camera wet, so I had to rely on a zoom lens.
I’ll re-wrap Duke’s foot tonight and make sure it looks OK, and then check it in the morning again. I may have to repeat the procedure a couple of times to make sure all the “core” is out. Oh - and if anyone can send me the formula for figuring out how many CCs of Pen-G a 9 pound rooster needs and dosage info, I would really appreciate it.
And, finally, speaking of roosters, here is skinny little Bobby Lee enjoying his Reign of Terror:
And see the pullet in that picture with him? That’s one of Duke’s babies. She’s a White Faced Black Spanish mixed with Silver Gray Dorking. She is a HUGE girl - and definitely has Duke’s eyes, as well as his five toes. She’s from the hatch that we had about 4 months ago. I’ve had a hard time coming up with a name that suits her. Any suggestions?
Jethro is one of Duke’s boys from that same hatch. He’s a Silver Leghorn crossed with a Silver Gray Dorking. He is the spitting image of his father when Duke was that age.
And this is Pico - he’s a White Faced Black Spanish crossed with a Phoenix. Bobby Lee is his daddy:
And I’m going to stop there with the pictures of the boys. You should be very thankful. There are actually eight more cockerels out there now. Can you believe that? You would if you heard the crowing around here all day - every day!
I’m hoping my Chicken Ownership Resume doesn’t get much longer. I would be happy if the only thing on it said “Happy chicken owner. I know how to feed and water chickens. And I can feed them treats and scoop poop from the coop. The end.” Seriously. I mean who would ever actually APPLY for a job where knowledge of sticking fingers up chicken butts and cutting on chicken feet was required? If you answered “Me!” to that question - have I got a job for you!
Bee Free,
Penny
Tags: bumblefoot
July 29th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
Bumblefoot….
I wonder if that’s what killed my rooster a few years ago. I went out, found him dead, and saw that both of the bottoms of his feet were hollowed out completely.
I’ve never heard of it til now.
~Faith
July 29th, 2009 at 6:03 pm
Ack - I’m sorry everyone. For some reason all comments for the last post, this one, and some of the one before that are missing. I must have messed up somewhere. Dad-gum it! I HATE it when that happens.
I did manage to find one from Jocelyn (http://physicalpossum.blogspot.com/) in my email :
From Jocelyn:
I tried reading this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courtesy_titles_in_the_United_Kingdom, and then my head exploded.
But if I’m only slightly reading this right:
“For example, the Duke of Norfolk is also the Earl of Arundel and the Lord Maltravers. His eldest son is therefore styled Earl of Arundel. Lord Arundel’s eldest son (should he sire one during his father’s lifetime) will be styled Lord Maltravers. However, only the Duke of Norfolk is actually a peer; his son Lord Arundel and his hypothetical grandson Lord Maltravers remain commoners.”
Then I vote for Duke’s daughter’s name to be “Earlene of Dork”
Ok Jocelyn, I totally got lost on the duke of the duke of the son of the peer of the grandson of the…… but I LOVE the name Earlene of Dork! You totally have first place so far. Even if you are the first to suggest a name
Faith - Thank you for stopping by! That is really weird about your rooster. I have no idea if bumblefoot killed your rooster, but I do think you may have noticed him limping or acting ill ahead of time. Apparently it’s not too difficult to deal with if you catch it in time - but if you don’t it’s a decline that is likely to be noticed.
July 29th, 2009 at 6:39 pm
Wow, you and me should set up the ‘alternative vets’ for chickens and cats LOL
You did good, and didnt your boy do well……. hopefully that will get him done and dusted…..
I dont know if you ever read me post a couple of years ago when I had to do surgery on me cat, your post bought back memories and have so given me a smile to go to bed with lol…..
If you get a chance have a read at my attempt a ‘home surgery’ LOL
http://marmitetoasty.blogspot.com/2007/06/on-line-feline-surgeryambrose-please.html
x
July 29th, 2009 at 6:41 pm
How about Duchess out of Duke.
July 29th, 2009 at 7:01 pm
Your chickens are gorgeous!! You are one brave soul
Thanks for the info! I hope I never need it 
July 29th, 2009 at 7:04 pm
OK Marmy - I had not read that post, but I went there when I saw your link and I am STILL laughing. Lord have mercy, girlfriend! The messes you get yourself into. Well, Duke and I did NOT use bleach. Nor did we use Gin. I would NEVER waste good gin like that!
We did it “right proper”, as you would say. I just came in from changing his bandage and doing a little more “digging”. He holds up so well during all this. And things are looking so good so far. No emergency visit to the vet OR the hospital for the two of us to get stitched up! We’re one up on you, my dear friend!
July 29th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
Charlotte - I like Duchess! I’ll pass it by Duke….
Trish - Thank you! And I REALLY hope you never have to use it, too!
July 29th, 2009 at 8:12 pm
The boys are gorgeous! Sounds like the two of us went through simular events once again;O) Did you see mine about Grey’s broken leg I had to set yesterday?
And bumblefoot?? I’ve never heard of it before either….
glad all I had to deal with was a broken leg but I don’t think he’ll heal as good as Duke will.
TTFN!
July 29th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
I know it’s not funny in some company… but dang I couldn’t stop laughing at the sight of the bandaged rooster.
I hope I never have to add that to my resume either.
July 29th, 2009 at 10:51 pm
Im sorry to hear that Dukes foot was infected. Im glad you caught it in time. I cant believe that no vets see chickens. I hope ours does!
Kelly
July 30th, 2009 at 4:40 am
Julie - I didn’t see your post, but I zipped over there and read it after you commented. I’m glad you got Gray’s leg splinted up. What a mess! I hope Gray and Duke both come through all this ok.
Ron - Actually it IS funny! That bandage looks like a cast on his foot and I get tickled watching him hobble around the yard. You should see him run! I hope you never have to add bumblefoot treatment to your resume either. It’s pretty gross.
Kelly - Thank you. I’ll head out to check on Duke when the sun comes up. I changed his bandage last night before I tucked him in. You really may consider calling around now to see if there is an avian vet in your area. If not, it would be wise to put together an emergency care kit! I have a huge plastic bin I keep everything I can think of in and it’s come in handy more than once. The one thing I didn’t have in mine was an Exacto knife. Bernie found one for me - and it is now an addition to my emergency kit!
July 30th, 2009 at 8:39 am
I’ve not had to deal with it (knock on wood) with any of my chickens.
I have read up on it, because I thought one of my hens had it some time back. I, too, believe there to be a ‘core’. Much like a wart or something.
I hope your guy is doing better today. I can’t imagine that he isn’t picking on the bandages!
July 30th, 2009 at 9:28 am
CeeCee - I can’t believe he’s not picking the bandage either! Honestly though - I think he’s too fat to reach them. Last night I ran out of the gauze wrap, so I cut strips of old fabric to use to wrap his foot and leg. This morning he’s sporting a baby blue bunny print - he may never speak to me again
I’m a little concerned that I haven’t gotten all the infection out. I did get a couple of posts on a BYC thread from people who told me they never found a “core” either - just chunks of hardened pus. I went back in last night, and again this morning, but I can’t find anything but blood. *sigh* I may need to soak his foot longer - although he is such a good patient, he does NOT like the soaking part, so I may be cutting that too short.
July 30th, 2009 at 10:20 am
Not to make light of poor Duke’s infection, but I was giggling to myself as I read this and imagined how the whole process must have looked! I can just envision him on a makeshift operating table with Dr. Penny hovering over him, scalpel and tweezers in hand. Sounds like you could have used an assistant!
I cannot believe he is such a good patient and would sit still long enough for you to cut and poke his foot. What a great boy he is! And I hope you got all the infection out and he heals very soon. You’re such a good chicken mommy!
July 30th, 2009 at 10:45 am
Lilla - your vision of the event is pretty accurate - makesift operating table and all! I could have definitely used an assistant - but Bernie can NOT take blood/puss/gore. He has helped me exactly ONE time with a chicken and he almost passed out. I just do it by myself now. And Duke is a remarkable patient. All I have to do is cover his head with a towel. It’s almost as though he feels that if he can’t SEE what’s going on, he’s ok with it. The hens I’ve worked on do NOT agree with him and they fight like little ninjas the whole time, with or without the towel over their head. I told Bernie if this had to happen to one of my chickens, thank heavens it was Duke!
July 30th, 2009 at 11:38 am
Oh that is terrible about Duke. He is such a Gorgeous boy. I think all of the chicks I have seen pix of are gorgeous. Now was he the ALPHA of the pack. He cerainly looks like he could be. I hope he gets back on top if he is the top dog. I am glad he is doing ok.
That is so erry because when i went into the big coop this am one of my Red Star girls has a swollen foot. It doesn’t seem to have a black or brown spot just between her toes it is quite swollen. I tried to look up pictures on Bumblefoot but nothing looked like hers, maybe I will try to take a picture of it and send it to you and see if you think it is the same thing.
I think the beutiful hen that is in the picture with Bobby Lee should be named Mollie of Duke. She has a wonderful daddy in Duke and should keep his name at least in part.
I will email you later with and update on my “Jack” Duke reminds me alot of Jack in his nice behavior.
Love to you and your chickens
July 30th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
Hi Lisa - Yes, Duke was the Alpha rooster until a couple of months ago. I really don’t think he’s going to try for a come back. He spends a lot of time laying in the shade these days! But he still keeps the other roos in line and kicks their tails when they mess with the girls. Bobby Lee seems content to just torture Duke - he doesn’t do very well with keeping the flock in line. But I try not to interfere - they’ll all work it out.
I think Bumblefoot always has a dark spot that is the center of the infection. But…. a swollen foot isn’t good. Maybe she just bruised it? I hope so!
Mollie of Duke is another good suggestion! I’m going to decide on her name by the end of the week.
July 30th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
Wow. You wear many diff hats, huh? Such a good patient Duke is. But, blue bunnies, really? Im sure you had to have had something else laying around….:)
You did a great job it sounds. I have to store all this info away so that I can refer to it when I get my own flock.
And what you gonna do with all those roos???? I bet Bernie has a good idea on what to do with them.
July 30th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
Frugalmom - OK, here’s the deal. I DO have other fabric I could have used, but I’ve got a few yards of that ridiculous bunny print because I ordered fabric on-line and they sent that bunny stuff by mistake. They told me to just keep it and they would send my original order. Which they did. So now I’ve got a wad of the ugly bunny print and nothing to do with it. And I didn’t want to use my NICE fabric to make a wrap out of! Plus, I knew he wouldn’t be able to see past his fat belly to know what he was wearing, so…
Yes, Bernie has an idea about what to do with all those roos. It will NOT be a pleasant day around here. But it HAS to happen. Roos are just so tough on the girls. I’m trying not to pay a lot of attention to them - but I gotta tell you there are a couple of CUTE dadgum cockerels in that mix. And they are starting to try to crow, which just makes me smile every time I hear it. But they are freezer bound. They have to be. Bernie will drop the axe and I’ll help process them.
Thanks for reminding me.
August 1st, 2009 at 1:18 pm
Wow, you have some pretty roosters!
And what about Midnight for the black hen? (for her color obviously) But I dont know how she acts, which thats how I usually determine my chicken names.
I almost forgot, Good Job on Duke’s surgery!!!
August 1st, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Thanks, J.P. That’s really the problem I’m having naming her - she’s kind of wild and I haven’t gotten to know her very well. Thanks for the kudos on the surgery. I’ll be happy when he’s healed and this is behind us!
August 12th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
what a great post and it sounds like you caught it early if it is in fact bumblefoot. I would hit it with antibiotics either way. If the penn doesn’t work then do a round of something different. Tylan 50 seems to be the alternative to Baytril, tho I have to find the exact link on that.
Anyway, your birds are beautiful and you have SO MANY ROOS!!!
have you got 10 hens to every roo?…I have 2 main roos and some babies coming up. I have developed a japanese bantam/araucana cross that seems to have a tiny crow, and now am working on japanese bantam/frizzles….
I have had trouble with the neighbors and had to go to court so even though I have almost 5 acres, I have to be careful.
I added a link to your post to my discussion of Bumblefoot over on my meetup page. Ive also subscribed to your blog.
My main blog is about liberal politics, and Im thinking of maybe making a bird one and embedding it in the meetup page…we’ll see.
I wish you had taken pics!!
and the comment about the hollowed out feet…eeekkkk! It sounds to me almost like an infestation of some maggot type of parasite. A small infection on a chicken can draw flies that only have to lay eggs once and then a hatch would be enough for hundreds of maggots to eat the infected area from the inside out. Horrible to say, but thats what it sounds like to me…unless an animal like a rat came and gnawed the foot bottoms…
Ive never heard of anything like that, and I wish she had taken a picture too!!… anything like that would make me want to call the local agriculture extension office and get a necropsy…because what if its flesh eating bacteria????????? I love this stuff for sure, but that gives me pause.
OXINE!!! Im gonna start spraying everything with it too…I actually hose down the lawn area and Im thinking of adding some to the soap dispenser in the hose handle….or Ill get a proper sprayer! Ive been misting everything with it too but it seems like fogging might be better.
Thanks for that post!
Good luck with the roo…let me know what happens!
on names: I call all my hens Mama…the bumblefoot hen is named Sicky, because of her neurological problem. and all the rest have names that have to do with their appearance. So Ive got frizz, frizzmama, baby…many babies…chicken little, beauty chick, crazy chick…and the like…
but I try to avoid naming them real names. The big rooster is Woostie….but Ive had him for years.
August 12th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
Hi Melina - Thank you for stopping by! Yes, I’m hoping the Pen-G will do the trick. If you find the info on Tylan, I would appreciate a link to it. I really don’t much about that particular antibiotic.
I have WAY too many roos. But, that problem will mostly be solved the end of the month - and our freezer will be filled
But I let them hatch out chicks all year, so I know it’s something that has to be done. Unfortunately 3 hatches ago I had 7 out of 9 end up to be roos! That stinks. Fortunately we are in the middle of no where, with no close neighbors, so all these little crowers aren’t bothering anyone. My roosters begin crowing between 6 and 9 weeks old - so you can just imagine what it sounds like around here. I LOVE roosters and would keep every single one of them if they didn’t act like…… well, roosters!
I name the roosters that I keep - the others have no names. I name my hens because I plan to keep them as well. But half the time I can’t keep them straight anyway
Thanks so much for stopping by, and for emailing me all the info. It’s really great to meet you!
Take care,
Penny