I have something going on with my hen.

she is a five year old barred rock
still growing in her feathers from a molt.
this past Sunday while they were out free ranging under my supervision.She just stopped scratching in the grass.She got very vocal.She pulled her left leg under her.like they do when they are warming their feet.she went to put it down.and stopped.I noticed her tail feather fanned out and she puffed out her feathers.and started to tremble as if she was cold.several times she went to put her leg down and it was as though it was hurting her.I seen her neck arch up several times.she put her leg down.and limp a few steps and sat down.I had to make her get up when I put them back in the run.She was limping bad.My first thought was a stroke.And than I thought it may be a vitamin deficiency.I gave her a couple of drops of vitamin B.and some in her water.I gave her some baby vitamins with no iron this morning.She is still limping and seems to be in pain.I have a cage set up in the house and will be bringing her in tonight.we have some cold temperatures on the way.

Have you been able to check her foot / leg to see if there is a wound or anything there? The way that you describe it coming on so suddenly makes me think of either a stroke or external injury.

Is she still eating / drinking / pooping as normal? How is she standing / walking / holding herself now?

foot looks OK.I can tell its painful for me touch it she pulls back when I do.she is eating.I have not seen her drink as I feed and give them fresh water in the morning.than I have to leave for work.she is on the roost when I get home from work.I have seen her eat some in the mornings.she is pooping.She is sitting around alot and her flock mates are all around her.she is the head hen.I had a hen this summer that started liming.and got to the point she could hardly walk kept her in the house for a month.and she did improve.but still had a limp.I lost her 6 weeks later from a heart attack.

thank you for your help



sharon

KayTee is right. You need to take a real close look at the pads and dimples of that foot. I've had chickens occasionally exhibit the same symptoms, and I've always found something.

It doesn't always have to be bumble foot. I have found sharp pebbles embedded in dimples in the pads, wood splinters, and once a pine cone scale, which can be sharp and very painful.

Sometimes it's a torn toe nail. If it's hanging partially detached, it can be very painful. Like a hang nail is on us. You will want to soak it in epsom salts and then remove it.

Also look for bruising on the leg. It will look greenish.

If you rule out those things, then it may be tumors on her joints caused by a chicken virus. That can have serious implications I won't go into at this time. I think it's a foreign body and you need to locate it and remove it.

We do have a pine tree they love to scratch under that.what ever happen to her happen quickly.She Scratches hard.and fast.I thought to she may have stretched her tendon.I am going to bring her in the house tonight to keep her warm and I will soak her foot.I don't like handling her to much.As she is growing in her new feathers.and its painful to them.when you touch them.

thank you all so much
Sharon

update on my hen.I soaked her feet in warm Epsom salt water last night.My husband held her as I checked her feet with a flash light.I have never seen a chickens feet so clean and smooth.Not even so much as a scratch on her feet.i kept her in over night.and took her back to join her coop mates this morning.she was walking much better this morning.But was still favoring her foot.tucking it under her.I know she is much happier being with her coop mates.Due to the very cold weather that suppose to hit us.I will be keeping her in the house.

If you can't find any sort of external injury then hopefully it is nothing more than a pulled tendon or similar, that will get better on its own. (Although such things can take a long time - one of my birds landed awkwardly when jumping down onto concrete one day, and it took over a month for her limp to completely disappear).

Please let us know how your bird gets on - it is useful for others searching for answers to similar questions on the forum to know how a situation worked out.

All the best for you and your flock.

I decided to let her roost with her coop mates last night.I will say I was really worried with our temperature's in the single digits.She was the first one to greet me this morning.She still has a slight limp.but doing great.


This site is the best.
Sharon