Pooh balls

Giving the girlies an overhaul today and noticed that a few had those annoying ball things on their tootsies. So I remembered Ironsun's tip from a chat night a while back and popped them the afflicted ones into a cage with some wet paper/kitchen towels. I added a generous slosh of water and left them to paddle for an hour or so - amused them with hung up green stuff. Came back to find all had lovely clean pinkies! No stress for them or me!

Harrie

Hi Harrie,

Many people just try and pull the "poo balls" off, this only pulls the toe nails out too, must be very painfull for the bird it's self.
Letting them walk around on wet paper, just softens the poo, and it just drops off.
In this cold weather, it's best to do the job in the mornings, and this gives the bird time to dry out properly and it won't cacth a chill.

Derek.

I've let mine paddle before...the adults don't seem to be too bad for poo balls, but when my first chicks were younger the seemed to LOVE standing in their own poop...

Oh thats a fab idea though impractical with my chickens which get them I tend to just soak them for a minute then they tend to come off.

Yeah - haven't had a problem with them as adults just the chicks. Dirty little so and sos

We made sure they were nice and dry before they went back to their shed. Mind you their shed is super cosy!

In the past I have just soaked their toes in warm water for a few minutes and then they just fell off (not their toes). Next time it happens I will try the wet paper method. Thanks for that idea.

I've also read somewhere to mix a bit of sand in with the sawdust to help keep their feet clean. I've not tried this yet.