[orchardlady]

I have kept hens for over 16 years now and have never had one single case of bumblefoot. I went away for a week and came home to find one hen with bumblefoot. I cleaned it out the day before yesterday and will take her dressing off today to re clean and re dress. Today as I let the hens out I noticed another hen with a very swollen foot pad and limping. I will catch her today and do the same for her, however my question is what's going on? All these years never a problem and now suddenly two! Any ideas?

Orchardlady.

[Spana]

Has the feed trough been placed in a slightly different position so their feet catch it when they jump down from the perch.  Also have a look for a sharp object in their ranging area.

[orchardlady]

No their feed trough is about 100 foot away from the hen house and there has been no change to their free range environment. Of course there are small stones and dropped sticks from trees etc but nothing different at all.

[kegs]

Something in the coop maybe or on one of the perches?

[orchardlady]

My son and I had a good look through the flock today and in total there are four birds with bumblefoot!!! Now I've looked this closely they certainly must have started this condition well before I went away. I feel quite ashamed that I didn't notice the swellings as I often sit and watch the birds while they go about their business.

The perches are removed every four weeks or so when I clean them out, washed well and DE slurry applied. The perches are 3x3 rounded edges, nice and steady in their fixings.

Orchardlady

[Foghorn-Leghorn]

Are they new birds or fairly new to you?  I'm just wondering if they're a bit more suspectible to the disease than your other birds and something like a moult has dropped their immune system?

When my birds got bumblefoot in winter all but one bird from a flock of 7 got the disease 

I hope they're soon on the mend 

[orchardlady]

Nope none are especially young all over a year old, all non related! I certainly hope that all 40 birds don't contract it...Yikes!!!

Orchardlady.

[Foghorn-Leghorn]

Hopefully they won't. 

I think I've narrowed down the problem with my birds - the topsoil in our garden was imported when the garden was built when the house was changed from been a working farm to just a dwelling and the imported topsoil has loads of bits of broken glass. 
I think after prolonged digging in wet weather the birds unearthed a lot of glass shards and then infection set in with the ground and their feet being wet.  I could be totally wrong but it's the only theory I could think of.  As such, their run is raked regularly, wood chippings put down and any visible pieces of glass that work their way to the surface are removed.  I'm hoping one day the glass will have gone!

Sorry I've been no help with your girls though - it is very strange.

[kegs]

You've probably seen these but I thought I'd put them in anyway.  There may just be something that strikes a cord with what may be causing it.

http://successwithpoultry.blogspot.com/2009/09/bumblefoot-chicken.html

http://www.poultry.allotment-garden.org/Chicken_a/bumblefoot-chickens.php