Jump to content
Sandychick

Chicken with injured leg

Recommended Posts

Hi all - my chicken Florence has been limping since last weekend. It didn't look too bad at first, but then got worse as the week went on. I took her to the vets last Thursday, and they could find nothing wrong. This morning she was much worse and can't stand at all - her foot was curled up and she didn't seem able to put it flat on the ground. She couldn't get to the food and water and looked miserable, so she has been inside in a carrier all day. She looked a bit brighter this evening. She is eating and drinking ok.

 

I've not had this problem with any chickens before, so could do with any advice / happy recovered limping chicken stories!

 

I'm not sure if I am doing the right thing by seperating her? I was a bit concerned that the roosing bars in the eglu were difficult for her. She also got a bit trampled by the others running out of the eglu in the morning. It was also very windy and cold this morning which probably wasn't helping her much when she couldn't move about. I'm thinking of putting her in a dog crate in the run with the others tomorrow - I'm worried about keeping her seperated for too long.

 

Any suggestions would be great as I don't really know what to do???? :think:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks. She doesn't seem any better today :( I'm not actually sure that she was injured and I'm wondering if it might be something more sinister. I assuming it's not the dreaded Marek's as she should be vaccinated. It's seems that there are lists of possible causes of lameness, so knowing what to do or think is difficult :? . Upsetting to watch her struggle - would love to see her zooming about the garden again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have had this problem.

 

One of my hens (less than 6 months when it happend) got attacked by a fox - we know this because the dog took a nice chunk out of its tail!

 

Luckily she survived, but she had a hole right through her hock - you could see daylight through it! I rushed her to the vet and the vet gave her some 'painkillers' and antibiotic 'jab' and said that apart from the hole there was nothing broken or damage with the exception of the skin. He told us to seperate her and leave her until she she is happy to stand up on one or both legs, just ensure she has food and water.

 

She didn't lay for a week or so and her comb started to go a bit pale but then she made a recovery ater about 3 weeks and was chatting away and couldn't wait to FR as she was put outside in the day in a wire cage so that she could still interact with the others.

 

The wound healed, but unfortunately, I think the vet was wrong as the hock has never recovered and has fused in a right angle position which means she hops everywhere. She copes with life really well, she eats, forages (eating the bits the others scratch up and leave for her) and she lays prolifically and looks as healthy as ever with the exception of her leg. She can cope with the perch bars as she still has the movement at the top of the leg and her toes so she can shuffle and grip the bars without a problem.

 

I wish that I had splinted it now so that she might have some use, but hind sight is a wonderful thing.

 

If I ever think that she is suffering, in pain or not happy I will have her pts straight away, the only reason she is still with us today is because of her 'disability' and the way she copes with it - OH doesn't see why I make a fuss of her!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Florence sadly got much worse, today she couldn't stand at all and became very sleepy and ill. She was vaccinated for Marek's disease but her symptoms looked like that was what she had. I took her to the vets and he agreed that she was now too sick to recover and thought it was very likely that she had Marek's. She was put to sleep this evening. I'm so upset. She was only 8 months old and so beautiful.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.




×
×
  • Create New...