Broken leg...

[smudge]

My Egyptian Fayoumi's leg is broken, or at least she's in pain using it. I think she needs a sling, but what if she fights me? Her leg and feet have swelled up, should I try a cold pack on her? I'm not sure if it is a simple fracture or compound – there didn't appear to be skin broken at the time, but it looked like there could be this morning, but I could have also gotten Bacetracine on it when I was treating her other foot...



I broke my hen's leg trying to catch her. I was trying to catch her to treat her for bumblefoot, whish had gotten a lot worse after my last attempt to treat it "noninvasively". (Aside: "non-invasive" method might work for some people, but good old regular bumblefoot surgery is surgery lite anyhow.) Why didn't I just wait for her to roost? Well, I did, but she's a feisty Egyptian Fayoumi, nd me entering the coop means she's going to bolt. At one point she even leaped onto the Brahma cockerel's back, then flew off of him and bounced off of me... I put a foot out to try and stop a mad dash and must have stepped on her... I suppose it would have been an amusing scene to some up until then... to me, it's just beyond annoying and heartbreaking.



If course, the bumblefoot toe is on the non-broken leg. I think I did a better job on it than last time - the bandages at least stayed on.



I am at a loss. Right now she's in a nesting like position. She's eating and pooping (got clobbered by a poop larger than any of her eggs), so she's not starving.



But given this is a Fayoumi, will a sling work, or would it be a waste of time?

 

[SunHwaKwon]

I think it would be a waste. If it is truly broken it needs to be set. If it is just sprained them confinement may help it heal and keep her from overusing it if she becomes frightened or another bird aggravates her.

I also suggest investing in a fishing net. It makes life easier if you have to catch one during the day time and don't have lap chickens.

 

[smudge]

I think it would be a waste. If it is truly broken it needs to be set. If it is just sprained them confinement may help it heal and keep her from overusing it if she becomes frightened or another bird aggravates her.

I also suggest investing in a fishing net. It makes life easier if you have to catch one during the day time and don't have lap chickens.

Thank you... That's part of the reason I've hesitated. She is so flighty that I worry that she would just injure herself further.



I've got her confined to an old rabbit hutch that 2 of my other girls prefer to use as a nesting box – they'll just have to lay elsewhere.



Fortunately my other chickens are all larger and calmer. Like, the second least calm would be the Buckeye, LOL.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

My Ancona is the same way. She kind of aggravates me with how easily she freaks out, like if I need to go in the coop for some reason when she is on the roost she goes bonkers even if I'm not near her. Grrr.

Good call putting her in the rabbit hutch. You may be able to get a good look at the leg and further evaluate and post back if you check on her after dark. If you can get a helper that may make it easier.

 

[smudge]

Well, it's been a few days... And I feel like I'm doing nothing right, or that at least it's not getting better.

Photos from Wednesday? (It's been a blur. I've had houseguests. Still have houseguests.)

The right leg is the one broken. The skin was initially not visibly broken, but there

was a bit of initial swelling and I noticed a scale came off.

The swelling also included a blister that immediately deflated when I touched it.

The bandaging you see is from working on her bumblefoot toe. Which still looks bad, but at least has stopped getting worse.

 

[smudge]

However, I think she has managed to make the injury worse.

I did try splinting it. My problem is her flighty instincts. She is eating and drinking - moreso if I offer it directly.

But she has wanted to sleep in the "nesting box" (an upsidedown box with an opening on one end) the past two nights. Her usual instinct id to roost at all costs.

She has also changed the noises she makes from her usual shrill squawks to more pleasant clucking. It'd be nice to think she was just broody, I'm more inclined to worry...

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Have you been able to actually feel the bone and see if you feel a break or deformity? I think the sloughing may have been from the swelling putting pressure there. From the pics, I don't see any obvious deformity, just the swelling and scab.

 

[smudge]

Have you been able to actually feel the bone and see if you feel a break or deformity? I think the sloughing may have been from the swelling putting pressure there. From the pics, I don't see any obvious deformity, just the swelling and scab.

I can't feel an obvious deformity, but it looks slightly off and she's avoiding putting any weight on it.

She's seeming a little chirpier - I've decided the best thing is to leave her alone. She hates me more than she cares for her safety; she is very untame.

 

[smudge]

I'm back. It's healing, but healing badly.

Since posting photos, the breaks has become an angle as it's healed. She's happy enough, back to her usual yelling self, other than limping. She's figured out enough to know that the leg isn't right.

I finally gave her outside time in a small pen this week. She was delighted to get a proper dust bath.

But it makes me ill to tears to look her leg at how I've botched its treatment. I just couldn't figure out how to immobilize her leg properly. There's no way a sling would ever work for her. Some people say don't splint. Others say splint, but are vague on how. (I'm not completely stupid, I know how to make a splint - placement is the issue.) And it's been utterly impossible to keep her calm. Just adding food or changing out the waterer freaks her out.

 

[pnwoldie]

You have my complete sympathy. I did the same thing the day before yesterday trying to catch a Rhode Island Red hen to give her a permethrin dip and comb vaseline treatment for a bad infestation of sticktight fleas. I moved to catch her and she ran right under my foot and I stomped her.

We isolated her overnight hoping she might recover but next morning she was suffering and DH kindly put her down. The realization that you have caused suffering to a creature you were trying to help, and are responsible for, is awful.

I am going to get a net. This treatment had to be done in daytime so they could dry off. It worked better to get help. I would grab the hen when my helper guided it into the corner, being careful not to take a step myself. The only consolation is that now I have the learning and experience to not repeat this horrible accident.