bumblefoot

Bumblefoot, it almost sounds like a silly name for a chicken.  However it's the illness that almost a dozen of our chickens are fighting right now.  Ya just gotta love all the 'learning as we go' that goes on around here.  I think I mentioned yesterday that we lost a chicken to 'something'.  Well, come to find out that a bunch of our chickens have that 'something'.  I got on to the backyard chickens forum.  The consensus was that our chickies have bumblefoot.  Bf (bumblefoot) is a staph infection in the chicken's foot.  You will notice a swelling at the top of the foot, if it has had time to grow.  Otherwise you see a black scab on the bottom of their foot.  With lots of soaking, cleaning and some minor surgery they should be on the mend.  Jeremiah and the girls took care of the large task this evening.  We will check in on everyone tomorrow to see how they are faring.  I am hypothesizing that the infection started with our new chicken roost's roof.  The staph gains it's entrance by a scratch or cut in their foot.  I really couldn't believe almost half of our chickens all came down with this. On the chicken forum people were saying that if you live in a wooded area that would lend itself to the chickens getting cuts and hence, bumblefoot.  We have had chickens here for the past three summers and none of them came down with this before.  We bought a metal roof to go on top of our newly built chicken nests/roosts. However it had very sharp edges.  Jeremiah had it laying against our fence, and I am guessing that some of the chickens tried to roost on it, thus cutting their feet. I am hoping that is the case.  I really can't imagine having to go through this all over again.  Who knew all that went into chickens! 

  Baby continues to do better.  He's a ball full of energy.  He is trying to get up on his knees!  Where did my wee little baby go?  Ha!  He is very, very interested in the food we are eating.  He's only had wee little tastes of soft things that we eat.  But he is hooked :-)  

  Poor Jed wasn't feeling well to his tummy this morning.  I have been making sure to only be online first thing in the morning, and then after the kids are in bed.  However we forgot to take off the wireless yesterday.  So it was no surprise that Jed was sick to his tummy today.  Once I turned the wireless off he was feeling better a couple of hours later.  He has an appointment with GI next week.  This is the appointment I've been nervous about.  However, at this point I don't think he'll be able to go.  My mom could drive us, but it's a lot of walking and I really can't see that happening right now with my knee.  I think I will have to reschedule.  Isabella has an appointment the following week with GI, and that may have to be cancelled as well. 

  Tomorrow is a new day.  I pray that it will be a blessing to all.