[orchardlady]

A lesson learnt today. I've had three broodie hens with their clutches of chicks in good sized runs for 8 weeks or so now. Over the years I've always let my broodies free range with their babies much earlier than eight weeks. This time I didn't because my new drake has displayed aggression towards other members of the chicken flock and I was earring on the side of caution. I've now started letting the broodies out and indeed the drake is bolshie with them but the chicks are now big enough to get away very easily from him. Regrettably and to my absolute shame I noticed today one of the broodies had huge balls of poo, mud and yuck glued to her toes. Totally encasing her nails and the lower part of her toes. I've just soaked and picked these balls off, trimmed her overgrown nails and blow dried her. She certainly enjoyed the soaking part but not a lot else. So my word of caution is inspect your broodies feet especial feathered birds, this girl is a Pekin Bantam. I feel absolutely rotten that she has had to live with these horrid feet for so long. I'm quite sure this has come about because she was more confined than usual, although her compatriots were kept in the same conditions.

Have any of you experienced this?

Orchardlady.



Orchardlady.

[bantam novice]

It is very easy to miss and you are acting as soon as you can.  Thanks for the caution.  I have a broody with three chicks and I'll keep checking her feet.  Good luck 

[ehs284]

I've two broody Pekins and I lift them out every morning to make sure that they eat, drink and have a moments run. They always have a digging sesion, so perhaps this is the easy way to let them keep themselves clean.

[orchardlady]

As I've always done with the broddies while broodie were lifted out each day to feed and scratch around. I think that the problem stemmed from being kept in a good sized run once the chicks arrived. We did have a period of quite wet weather when the run became quite messy and so i think that was the period it probably started to form.

Orchardlady.