How To Wrap A Chicken’s Foot

There may be times when you may need to wrap a chicken’s foot to keep a wound clean and medicated. Treating a case of bumblefoot in a chicken is perhaps the most likely scenario when you’ll need to have this skill. Here’s a step-by-step tutorial and video on wrapping a chicken’s foot effectively.

Supplies needed

• Scissors
• 4-inch wide Vet Wrap 
• Cotton ball or pad
• Medication of choice

Begin with a strip of Vet Wrap that is approximately 4 inches long. The Vet Wrap is easier to work and fits a chicken’s foot more comfortably if it has been cut in half lengthwise to make a narrower strip approximately 2 inches wide.

How To Wrap

Place the cotton ball (with medicine applied, if used) on one end of the Vet Wrap. Cover the wounded area with the medicated cotton ball and Vet Wrap. Bring the free end of the wrap over the top of the foot and between toes 1 and 2, giving the Vet Wrap a slight stretch as you continue to guide the wrap around the back of the foot and above the back toe to anchor the bandage to prevent it from sliding off of the foot. Continue around the foot and between the other two toes, then back around and above the toe once more. You are wrapping in a figure-8 pattern between the toes and above the back toe. Press the end of the Vet Wrap to seal it to the rest of the bandage.

After applying the wrap, monitor the bird carefully for the next few hours for any signs of distress, swelling of the toes, or increased lameness. These indicate that the bandage may be too tight and cause circulation problems with the foot.

Cooped Up

A chicken who needs to have a foot bandaged should be kept isolated from the rest of the flock in a small cage. If possible, keep the cage in the coop. Keeping the chicken visible to the remaining flock but easily accessible for you to care for will help its social re-entry back into the flock when the time comes.

A chicken’s bandage will usually need to be changed every day or every other day, but as the wound heals, you may be able to stretch it to every three days. Depending on the severity, bumblefoot may take several weeks to months to completely heal.