Broken wing

[-Chanticleer-]

My Polish mix fell from the perch and landed on her wing. She doesn’t move it around at all. The accident happened almost a week ago. She now doesn’t have balance when she walks. She was walking perfectly normal but dragging her wing. Now she doesn’t stand unless I stand her up and she falls straight forward butt in the air. She is also molting right now. She’s almost fully feathered back in. I’m not too sure how to help her. She’s eating drinking fine. Comb is pink she’s just not moving around on her own anymore. Any ideas?

 

[microchick]

Oh @chanticleer I am so sorry. Meep is gorgeous. Never fails I'm afraid.

I lost a little rooster just a bit over two years of age 10 days ago. Completely blindsided me. I found him drooping on a roost bar, hopping around a bit but definitely sick. Got him down, skin and bones. No symptoms. Just wasted. I've been having problems, non-Marek's related with some of my cross bred hens that leads me to suspect something cardiac/genetic in nature but this little guy....I hatched him myself. Hand reared him. He was sweet and gentle and now I suspect that it is a Marek's loss after going almost 6 years without a suspicious death. I knew a big snow storm was heading in. I'd put him in a nesting box and he hadn't moved out of it in over 24 hours and was growing weaker. I put him down. It's heartbreaking especially when you are a second mom to them.

If you decide to cull your sweet hen, and can handle cutting her open, you will want to check her reproductive system. There are pictures on line that will tell you where everything is. It's not hard. Also check her liver. If there are tumors there you will see them. The one hen I necropsied had a huge infection in one of her ovaries. I found a large 3x2 inch hard ball of purulent matter on the ovary. It wasn't Marek's in her case. But given that Meep was having crop problems, you might want to make sure and take a look there as I did have a hen that wound up with what felt like a huge hard purulent ball in her crop when she died.

For the lameness to check for Marek's you will want to cut down in the inside of the thigh muscle, careful to dissect to the bone and look for the big sciatic nerve. Once again there are pictures on line. In MD the nerve will be greatly enlarged.

I'm so sorry. This won't be easy to do but you might have a better idea as to what is going on and what killed her if you can handle it. Be prepared though to not find anything that you can lay a finger on. It might happen.

I agree. There is much more than a broken wing going on. Two years ago my Little Joker, A SDW OEGB rooster I hand raised when his mother died turned up with a broken forewing. Really trashed the joint and it just crunched when I touched it. I tried to splint it and wrap it to his body but he would have nothing to do with it. So I kept him in a cage for a month and let it heal which it did. A bit crooked but it sure isn't slowing my little guy down. He flaps the wing and still rules the roost.

Once again. I am so sorry.I wish I was more I could do to help.

I also wanted to add. You have done all you can do to help her. She's had a good and loving family and a good life until now. An old saying goes, when God has his hand on their right shoulder, you may as well remove yours from the left because God always wins. Same goes for chickens. I'm afraid.

PS. Thanks for the tag, @Wyorp Rock

 

[-Chanticleer-]

Looking a tad better and alert. She ate some scrambled egg and had some more sugar water. Going to give her some vitamin water as well and see how she does.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Saying good bye to meep today. I am pretty sure she has Mareks and it took this long for it to finally show up. She can’t move her legs or wings anymore. I was thinking of giving her sleeping medicine and then putting her to rest. I want to make it as painless as possible. Anyone know what to look for in a necropsy? I don’t have the money to send her off to get it done at a lab, I want to try and see if her decline in health could possibly have been contagious. Thank you to everyone for the help and support. Meep was a one of a kind bird and she will be extremely missed.

I'm sorry to hear about Meep, what a sweet girl and I just love her name
How sad that she had began to be doing pretty well, then took this turn.

I wouldn't give any sleeping pills, I understand the thought process, but you don't know how they will affect her beforehand, if they will even be effective, nor how much to give or how long they would take to work.

Often, it's best just to put them down quickly and be done with that part of the process. I know it's not easy to put a much-loved hen down, my heart goes out to you, I've been there many times.

As for necropsy, I would look for tumors on the organs which can indicate Marek's disease. I do open my hens up, but I've never specifically looked for Marek's signs.
@coach723 @Eggcessive @microchick may be able to tell you what to look for, but if you will post photos, if possible, we might be able to give our opinion as well.

 

[coach723]

I'm so sorry. If you open her up, take as many pictures as you can, with organs in place, and once they are removed. If it's visceral Marek's it's usually obvious, lots of lesions. If it's only the nerves, it can be harder to see. Pictures may show the answers. Take your time, and walk away to breathe if needed. If you have never done a necropsy before, emotions can get to you. Rest assured, it does get easier, and the information gotten can be very helpful. Her last gift to you is the information that helps you learn and helps keep the rest of the flock healthy.

 

[microchick]

I can't bring myself to rate your post. I'm so sorry. I know your pain and no there will never be another Meep.

Marek's started taking my birds when they were about 14 months old. My roosters when they were a year. It's a horrible, horrible, heartbreaking disease but know that the last great gift of love that you gave her was letting her little spirit fly free.

I always tell my birds to find my flock at the rainbow bridge and wait for me. Some day I will see them again.

RIP Meep. Look for my flock. They will keep you company.

 

[Eggcessive]

Do not try to empty her crop.That could kill her.

 

[Eggcessive]

A doughy crop can be massaged downward several times a day. Chilled coconut oil can be given for her to peck. Hopefully her color will return to normal. Making a chicken vomit can surely kill them.

 

[-Chanticleer-]

She might have mereks. The stress from the cold could weaken her immune system enough to start to show symptoms. Falling off the perch could have been a sign of her weakness not an injury.

Not ruling that out since she has no control over one of her wings.

 

[Eggcessive]

It can be common for chickens to end up on their backs or side when they have a neurological problem, such as with Mareks, or with a head injury. It is always hard to tell the cause. I would continue to give her supportive care. Is her crop full and firm, doughy or puffy/soft? Will she eat some very watery chicken feed or water scrambled egg? Some small pieces of chilled coconut oil can be offered to her to peck which might help her crop empty. Here is a good article about crop problems, which can accompany other conditions:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/