Rooster with injured leg for almost a month

Easter Chicks

Chirping
Jul 17, 2015
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So, I already started a thread for this issue but it was partnered with another one and it's been a little bit so I am going to start over.

My rooster Thelma (yes, that is his name. The other one is Louise, haha) injured his leg somehow during Christmas break which was almost a month ago. He's a Brahma, so very large and very lazy. He was always lying down.

But then one day, we found that he could not stand at all. If he tried, he stumbled and collapsed.
We examined his legs thoroughly to see if there were any swelling or breaks but we could not find any. To be honest, it's difficult to tell which leg is injured. He is eating and drinking and everything and other than the fact that he can't walk, is totally fine.

We've been giving him a quarter of an aspirin twice a day and he doesn't seem to be in pain (although with chickens, you can never tell.) We put him in a dog crate inside the coop so that Louise can go out in the run but they can still see each other at night. I am worried because it is the middle of winter and although Louise has a water heater outside, Thelma relies on water bottles that we used for the chicks. The water freezes and I can't leave pots of water out or he tips them everywhere and soaks himself (plus, moisture.) He drinks a lot in the morning and afternoon but it really isn't fair to keep him without water like that. We leave out the bottles and hope he drinks from them during the day before they freeze. Any ideas?

I have read that sprains can take a couple weeks to heal but it's been twice this amount of time. He mostly lies down although occasionally tries to stand and stumbles around a lot, knocking himself against the cage and probably hurting himself further. If this is normal and he will heal then it is worth it. But if it's just being cruel, then...
I am hoping that we can at least wait until spring when we are getting more chicks so that Louise won't be alone because they are the sole survivors of a fox attack and you can't really keep just one chicken.

But I am pretty sure that Thelma's been improving. Albeit very slightly and it's hard to say. He stands sort of hunched over and can do this for a bit before he stumbles and lies down. If it would be helpful, I can take pictures and videos. Mstly I am just wondering if this length of time is normal for a leg injury.

*Also, side notes: He has so many feathers on his legs that is is nearly impossible to see anything. Also, his foot curls and appears to be fine so I am almost certain that it is somewhere along the leg.
 
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No! He is not supposed to be stumbling!
Here is a list of options.

1. Make a cast for his leg. Make sure it is not cutting of the circulation to this leg. This is the treatment I recommend in the least because unless Thelma's cage is not big enough for him to walk around, he will most likely tear it off with his beak.
2. Give him some TUMS or milk. Sometimes broken or sprained legs are due to a calcium deficiency.
3. Make him a sling.Have a big storage bin with cloth across it. The cloth needses to have three holes, for the legs and the vent. have food and water there for him to eat. (see photos)




Choose whatever works for you.
 
No! He is not supposed to be stumbling!
Here is a list of options.

1. Make a cast for his leg. Make sure it is not cutting of the circulation to this leg. This is the treatment I recommend in the least because unless Thelma's cage is not big enough for him to walk around, he will most likely tear it off with his beak.
2. Give him some TUMS or milk. Sometimes broken or sprained legs are due to a calcium deficiency.
3. Make him a sling.Have a big storage bin with cloth across it. The cloth needses to have three holes, for the legs and the vent. have food and water there for him to eat. (see photos)




Choose whatever works for you.
Thank you! I will certainly try out the sling; I think that should help a lot. His trying to walk is really the only reason I can think of for why he isn't getting better. (And the aspirin can't being helping either, seeing as it masks pain, haha.) Let's hope this works!
 
GOOD LUCK!
Okay, so this is what we've done. What do you think?






He's falling asleep. :)

I don't know how we'll know when he's better, but this is our last solution, so hopefully it works.

EDIT: He got out of it. So now we'll have to see if we can find a baby jumper. Other than that, he's out of luck, really. :/
 
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You should probably, if he's getting out, just put him back in with a towel over his back so he is kind of wrapped or put him in a hen saddle so he can't flap his wings. And was he eating when he was in it?
-Goofy
Hmm, I'll try that, thank you. I don't have a hen saddle, but we'll see. c: Oh, yes, he was eating and drinking just fine. Fell asleep for a bit too. He was very calm when we were with him and seemed much happier than he had been. Then we left for a while and came back and he was out. If he is going to stay in, it'll definitely be by securing him in.
 
OK well I hope you can secure him so he feels better and can go back to being with Louise. He probably enjoyed it then got bored, lol like car rides and me.
Also, after a week of having him in the sling, let him walk around a bit. If he is doing better, check his progress more often.
 
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I have a game pullet that is doing the same thing. She was fine when I brought her home but about four days later she was stumbling and falling down. She eats and drinks fine. Not sure what's going on.
 

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