Well, Tic Tac is looking good. She has been confined to our brooder since I got back from VT. I re-did her surgery when I got back, but only on her one bad foot. I packed it with Neosporin and lightly wrapped it with vetwrap. I took the advice of a 'forum friend' that says once it's wrapped I should leave it alone for about a week. So I did. I finally unwrapped her foot a couple of days ago, and it looked amazing. Her foot is still a little swollen, but the surgery site was clean and healing. I decided that I would leave the bandages off and let it air out now.
We're on day 3 of no bandages and it looks like it's coming along nicely. She still favors the foot, but I think we are past the bad stuff and she will make a full recovery (fingers crossed). She's been getting a steady dose of Duramycin (antibiotic) in her water daily. A few more days and I think she'll be off that and she'll be able to go back to her home and rejoin her family.
Never a dull moment at the Crack N' Egg farm!
Until next time...
Showing posts with label chicken foot. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chicken foot. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Taking A Turn
So I went away on Thursday to visit my family in VT till Sunday and it looks like Tic Tac has taken a turn for the worse. When I came home on Sunday and let all my chickens out for some fresh grass and bugs, Tic Tac was limping pretty bad.
I was unable to soak her feet and change the dressings for over 3 days and it took it's toll. I removed the bandages and one foot is really swollen and looking infected. The other foot doesn't look so bad. I prepared the cage brooder that we have for baby chicks and put fresh soft bedding and food and water for her. I soaked her feet good and kept the bandages off and then placed her in isolation for now. It will keep her from having to struggle with the other chickens and walking around in the dirt and poo. Other then her feet, she is eating well, drinking and pooping normal. Her comb and wattles are still nice and red although her comb is a little floppy. But that could be due to the excessive heat we are having.
Right now, my dilemma is this. I went to Tractor Supply and picked up Penicillin G for injection. I'm hoping it will help fight the infection. So now for my dilemma....In the wonderful state of NJ it is illegal to sell syringes to the public. NJ passed a law that farm supply, drug store & etc, can no longer sell syringes. Thank you drug addicts...like drug addicts aren't going to find other ways to get their needles!!! So now if you are a farmer and need to administer medication to your animals you're (pardon) fucked!!
So now I have a phone call to a vet up the road in the hopes that he can sell me some syringes. If not, I will have to travel all the way to the border to purchase the contraband. God I love NJ!!!! The state only gets better...but this is my blog for my chickens, not politics! LOL!
So I'll keep ya posted!
I was unable to soak her feet and change the dressings for over 3 days and it took it's toll. I removed the bandages and one foot is really swollen and looking infected. The other foot doesn't look so bad. I prepared the cage brooder that we have for baby chicks and put fresh soft bedding and food and water for her. I soaked her feet good and kept the bandages off and then placed her in isolation for now. It will keep her from having to struggle with the other chickens and walking around in the dirt and poo. Other then her feet, she is eating well, drinking and pooping normal. Her comb and wattles are still nice and red although her comb is a little floppy. But that could be due to the excessive heat we are having.
Right now, my dilemma is this. I went to Tractor Supply and picked up Penicillin G for injection. I'm hoping it will help fight the infection. So now for my dilemma....In the wonderful state of NJ it is illegal to sell syringes to the public. NJ passed a law that farm supply, drug store & etc, can no longer sell syringes. Thank you drug addicts...like drug addicts aren't going to find other ways to get their needles!!! So now if you are a farmer and need to administer medication to your animals you're (pardon) fucked!!
So now I have a phone call to a vet up the road in the hopes that he can sell me some syringes. If not, I will have to travel all the way to the border to purchase the contraband. God I love NJ!!!! The state only gets better...but this is my blog for my chickens, not politics! LOL!
So I'll keep ya posted!
Monday, August 2, 2010
Tic Tac Update
So, I think Tic Tac is going to make it. I still have my fingers crossed though. It was my first and I'm sure not my last surgery on my chickens. I've been changing and redressing her feet everyday as well as soaking them in epsom salt and warm water.
I'm a little nervous though, I am leaving for a couple of days and won't be able to change her wraps. All my peeps from the BYC tell me she should be healed and fine by then. Let's hope.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Tic Tac's Surgery
Well this was a first. Tack onto my long list of job descriptions...now I'm a vet too. Well, I'm nothing like a vet, but as a 'farmer', there are things that you just gotta do.
I noticed a couple of days ago that our poor Barred Rock hen Tic Tac started walking a bit gingerly. I also notice something hanging from the bottom of that foot. She wasn't roosting with all the other chickens and she was laying down often to rest. After much research I found out she has whats referred to as "Bumble Foot". Apparently it's quite common in bird species. She must have had something stuck in the pad of her foot that eventually turned into a Staph infection. YIKES!!!!!
Well, most chicken owners take it upon themselves to resolve the problem with the hopes that they don't kill their chicken in the process...Double YIKES!!
After scouring the internet and chicken forums it seemed easy enough. I just needed an extra pair of hands...Now being a mom, that would really be nice to have, but unfortunately I don't see that happening within my lifetime.
So after a quick trip into town to pick up some surgical supplies, I hired my dear hubby to portray the role of surgical nurse. I scooped her up this morning (after breakfast might I add...maybe not a good idea to have breaky first) then wrapped her up in a towel and handed her off to my surgical assistant. It was then I noticed that she had 'Bumble Foot' on both of her feet..That is my triple YIKES!!! Now I really started to feel the pressure (forehead wipe please). After a good soak in warm water with betadine and epsom salt I was ready to make the first cut. Surprisingly my hands were steady. The goal of all of this is to remove the scabbing and pull all of the 'crap' out of the padding of the foot. Then soak in more betadine, epsom salt and warm water, then triple anitbiotic cream and wrap. So here are some pics...not too bad, but maybe not for the squeemish!
So hopefully she will make a full recovery, and I hope I never have to do this again. It really wasn't bad at all, but you never want to have to do stuff like this. It was quite cute watching her get use to her new kicks though....
All in all, I think it went really well. Although when I put her back with her family, they all (including Tic Tac) started pecking at the blue vet wrap. I had to put her in a separate pen so she can rest and not get chewed on. LOL!
I noticed a couple of days ago that our poor Barred Rock hen Tic Tac started walking a bit gingerly. I also notice something hanging from the bottom of that foot. She wasn't roosting with all the other chickens and she was laying down often to rest. After much research I found out she has whats referred to as "Bumble Foot". Apparently it's quite common in bird species. She must have had something stuck in the pad of her foot that eventually turned into a Staph infection. YIKES!!!!!
Well, most chicken owners take it upon themselves to resolve the problem with the hopes that they don't kill their chicken in the process...Double YIKES!!
After scouring the internet and chicken forums it seemed easy enough. I just needed an extra pair of hands...Now being a mom, that would really be nice to have, but unfortunately I don't see that happening within my lifetime.
So after a quick trip into town to pick up some surgical supplies, I hired my dear hubby to portray the role of surgical nurse. I scooped her up this morning (after breakfast might I add...maybe not a good idea to have breaky first) then wrapped her up in a towel and handed her off to my surgical assistant. It was then I noticed that she had 'Bumble Foot' on both of her feet..That is my triple YIKES!!! Now I really started to feel the pressure (forehead wipe please). After a good soak in warm water with betadine and epsom salt I was ready to make the first cut. Surprisingly my hands were steady. The goal of all of this is to remove the scabbing and pull all of the 'crap' out of the padding of the foot. Then soak in more betadine, epsom salt and warm water, then triple anitbiotic cream and wrap. So here are some pics...not too bad, but maybe not for the squeemish!
So hopefully she will make a full recovery, and I hope I never have to do this again. It really wasn't bad at all, but you never want to have to do stuff like this. It was quite cute watching her get use to her new kicks though....
All in all, I think it went really well. Although when I put her back with her family, they all (including Tic Tac) started pecking at the blue vet wrap. I had to put her in a separate pen so she can rest and not get chewed on. LOL!
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