hunkydoory Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 (edited) One of my Pekins developed a fairly severe limp. She won't/can't bear weight on the bad leg. Her comb went particularly pale and she looked really sorry for herself. I can't see anything on her leg or foot that indicates an obvious injury - but all of those feathers don't make it easy . I have taken her out of the run and put her into the broody box. Within hours she perked up, she is eating and drinking, her comb now red again but 3 days on she is still lame and a bit dozey. I am relucant to take her to the vet as past experience tells me they are a domestic practice and know very little about chickens. Any suggestions of things to try or recommendations for vets who are chicken friendly around the Abingdon/Oxford area? Edited August 20, 2011 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 The rest will have done her some good. If left with her friends, she will have tried to keep up with them so as not to lose her place in the pecking order. A calcium supplement may help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hunkydoory Posted August 17, 2011 Author Share Posted August 17, 2011 Thank you I will try that. Off to the Health shop tomorrow. Goodness only knows what mischief she has done to herself. Do chickens break their legs I know that they don't show pain in the same way you or I do but I hate to think about her suffering I'm just concerned about her being comfortable. The broody box spends the day in the WIR with the others milling around her. Off to the garage at night time. I suppose if she is hobbling around her box and getting too and from the food and water it can't be causing her too much discomfortable. Can you give chickens any non prescribed pain relief? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 They can break their legs although fortunately, we don't seem to get many reports of it here. Omletina Kyckling had a hen who broke her leg and recovered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harryissy Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 Pepper, one of our chickens, broke a leg earlier this year. The vet made a splint for it and we kept her confined in a cat basket [a large wire mesh one that she could see out of] in the kitchen for 4 weeks by which time it had mended completely. She had painkillers for the first few days given to us by the vet but I don't know the name of them. They were in liquid form and we gave them squished up in a bit of banana. If you think she has a broken leg I would suggest that you get her to a vet asap as the outcome with the correct treatment is generally good. Best of luck and hope she's back to normal soon. By the way, Pepper continued to lay throughout her confinement in the basket! Our only problem was to remove the eggs before she managed to break them and eat them! Elspeth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hunkydoory Posted August 19, 2011 Author Share Posted August 19, 2011 Well things weren't quite right and today she barley drank and certainly did not eat By the time we got to the Vet for her appointment her other leg had stopped working too and the poor love just laid there. After being removed from the run to the broody box a few days ago, there was an initial rally. However, today the Vet did not think that she had a broken leg but perhaps a neurological disorder or perhaps an infection. We decided to give her a chance and opted for anitbiotics. Unfortunately just 2 doses of antibiotic into her course she passed away Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majuka Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 Very sorry for your loss Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkysmum Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 Sorry to hear this. You did the best you could for her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gongladosh Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 poor little thing, RIP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 Sorry to hear that . You did what you could. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
