9/15/2023 0 Comments Silkie chicken feet![]() ![]() While the feathers make the silkies look special, they trap the mud, snow, and dirt, so they can affect the way a silkie walks and moves. Trimming the feathers on the feet and toes is necessary. Here are a few things you can do to make sure that silkies will have healthy and happy feet. How Can You Take Care of Silkies’ Feet?ĭue to the presence of an extra toe, paying attention to the feet of silkies is crucial. That being said, feather footed chickens are prone to several foot problems, so it’s vital to know how to care for them. No one really knows why these birds have feathered feet, but that is a part of their unique characteristics. Why Do Silkies Have Feathered Feet?Ī Silkie chicken with feathers on their feet means they were bred to standard, and may not have any genetic issues. They also have five toes on each foot, compared to other chicken breeds with only four toes on every foot. They have unusual physical features as they have blue earlobes and black skin, bones, and meat. Silkies are smaller than other breeds of chickens and lay smaller eggs. This can lead to bloody legs and more serious issues. Some regular chickens may pick on your Silkie, because their feathers are easier to pluck, since they have more of them. Since they can’t fly, it’s not recommended to keep silkies outdoors as they’re vulnerable and are vulnerable to predators. Silkies make excellent house pets and can be kept inside the house or in a coop. Many bird lovers say Silkies are easy to tame when you start young. The feathers don’t have barbs that make them stiff like other chickens, and therefore they look like small furry balls.įor the same reason, these birds are usually raised as pets since they’re cuddly, friendly, and easy to contain. Silkies are exceptionally looking chickens with fluffy feathers that make them look quite different from other breeds. ![]() In the worse cases, this might be very helpful.Ĭheck for any cuts, abrasions or signs of bumble foot in the underneath foot pad.Īpply Betadine (iodine solution) to any sore parts to prevent infection.Show Silkies will have more feathers, but all healthy silkies will have feathers on their feet. Some people like to use a little olive or mineral oil with a cotton pad to clean the toes, but it is not that necessary.So have a hair dryer and old towels ready. The drying of the hen will then also be essential.Use warm soapy water (dish detergent or baby shampoo, etc.).Use an old toothbrush to help clean the toes.(15 min average) Getting the hen to stay in the water will be the challenge. The soaking method is by far the longest.Aim for the sides, squeezing the mud to break off.Quickest method, especially if there are more than one hen to do.Best advice is to go carefully and try not to break any toes.Soaking - 15 minutes on average per hen.Hammer method - again, aim for the top and sides of each ball, tapping off gently.Pliers method - squeeze around sides of toe balls to break off.There are a few ways to remove mud balls from the toes. If you are planning on raising feathery legged hens, make sure they have a variety of non-muddy surfaces, particularly so that their legs are able to dry out a bit before bed time. The feathery legged variety of chickens suffer the worst as their feathers can get entangled, so the removal is slightly more painful for them. Rain can stir up soil dwelling parasites as well as coccidiosis which is detrimental to chickens (watch for bloody poops). If you have a variety of surfaces with leaf matter and loamy soil, the chances of toe mud balls reduces. We found the clay from our farm yard track made it worse when very wet. If the soil is very sandy or gravely, mud is likely to hard on quicker. Dealing with the issue at the earliest stages is by the far the best and easiest thing to do, then address prevention. ![]()
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