Our hens came to us with bumblefoot. Bumblefoot is a type of infection caused by staph. The infection does not cause typical liquid pus, but a layering of tissue referred to as a kernel. it reminds me of a cheese curd. With serious cases you have to cut the “kernel out of the foot because if it will continue to grow. It is pretty easy to find the kernel because it abrupts as a black scab on the bottom of their foot.
Most have been fine with no intervention but two needed some help from us. Aretha started limping so we cut out her bumble and she seems to be doing well. Bandita has has a longer road to travel. When we first worked on her foot there were two areas were the infection had caused tumour like protrusions between her toes. We managed to get one completely healed but the second had a small tunnel to kernel material we couldn’t get to that we had to leave.
It has been a month and as we suspected and hoped it worked it’s way to the side of her foot where there was a pocket from the first round. Yesterday we went back at it again, and we are fairly certain that this time we got it all out. Of course the next couple days and bandage changes will tell us for sure but we have our fingers crossed. I could gross you out with all the details but I will leave you with two pics…
All the gear set up and ready to go. Yes those are strawberries. We need a good motivator to get her walking right away so we can check the bandage.
And the patient starring suspiciously at us from her towel.
