"Birdy Booties" Help Keep Chicken Feet Healthy

Birdy Booties Help Keep Chicken Feet Healthy LIVESTOCK Hogs 33 The Birdy Bootie is the latest product for chickens developed by Tobi Kosanke Her Hen Saver® hen aprons protect the backs of chickens and were featured in FARM SHOW’S Vol 33 No 1 The Bird Bootie is designed to help heal chickens’ injured feet “We had problems with bumblefoot in our flock and I found out it was a common problem that has a 50 percent mortality rate ” Kosanke says Bumblefoot refers to the infection chickens get after some type of foot injury Injuries occur when large chickens get splinters or their feet get scratched or scraped If a staph infection sets in it can spread to the bones and kill the bird Ordinary first aid wraps won’t stay on so Kosanke designed right and left booties out of waterproof neoprene Because heat dissipates through chicken’s feet she left the toes open to provide air circulation The booties are secured with strong Velcro around the foot and ankle and the chicken can do what it does naturally – scratch in the dirt and flex its feet to sit on the roost The bottom piece of neoprene is textured to provide traction while the top is smooth In addition to a bandage there’s room inside for a cotton ball to provide an extra cushion for the foot Like Kosanke who owns a farm for rescue animals her customers are typically small backyard poultry owners who are attached to their flock and prefer to treat instead of cull their injured birds The patent-pending Birdy Bootie sells for $9 99 each right or left and can be washed and dried to use over and over again They fit standard breeds Bantam-sized booties are available by special order Kosanke is working on booties for larger birds such as ducks geese and raptors Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Tobi Kosanke Crazy K Farm 28384 Mellman Rd Hempstead Texas 77445 ph 800 980-4165; info@crazykfarm com; www crazykfarm mybigcommerce com

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