Hen with broken leg, help please

[Faith]

Our Bar Rock hen has what we believe to be a broken leg. Everything else looks fine but she can't bear weight on it & today it is beginning to swell.

I don't have any aspirin whatsoever. We have soaked it in warm water & *tried* to cast the upper portion of her leg above the joint (knee). First we tried casting the whole leg but then her leg went out to her backside.

I'm going to try cutting angled plastic to redirect her leg as if she were resting since she is only resting & laying down. Would this be the correct way to cast her leg?

She just began getting a fever & since I don't have any aspirin, I put vinegar soaked towels on her abdomen to break the fever as I do with our children. It does work quite well & quite quickly.

Any info would be helpful.

Thanks to anyone who replies.

 

[DuckLady]

I would try to get the broken bone ends back in place then then use a broken popsicle stick on each side taped up good as a splint.

 

[dlhunicorn]

Do you have prep H >>>the one with the witchhazel in it? I think that (topically) would work a bit better than the vinegar...
wrap in gauze or other suitable material first before using the popsicle sticks to stabilize... (or you could even use bubble wrap over the gauze if nothing else is working for you and tape that.)
You need to pen and restrict movement... give electrolytes or pedialyte to deal with the shock.

 

[Faith]

Ok, she's walking slowly but properly now after soaking her leg in epsom salt water & using the vinegar for a fever reducer.

Witch Hazel is a great idea for reducing swelling. It also has the cooling effect after her leg would be removed from the water.

Thank you both.

 

[dlhunicorn]

If you are sure it is broken then even if she is appearing to be able to walk on it properly (meaning the bone break has been realigned) you still need to stabilize it and restrict her movement ...otherwise you run a real danger of staph setting in.

 

[Faith]

DHunicorn ~ Again, thank you. I've just cut a sling for her & going out to tie it on her. So far so good.

 

[Moonwalker]

I have had success with lower leg and foot fractures, but have never had one with an upper leg fracture. If she has started walking again so soon, you may have gotten lucky and it was only sprained or dislocated. In any case restricting movement is probably the most important thing.
Be careful that whatever splint or sling you use is on tight enough not to slip, but not cutting off circulation. If it slips, she will struggle and end up in worse shape.
Check under the feathers to make sure that it is not a compound fracture (where the bone actually breaks the skin). In this case, you have to clean and disinfect the area BEFORE you try to set the bone, to keep as much contamination from going back under the skin as possible.
If you can just feel a lump where the break is or feel a grating , you will need to gently, but firmly pull, holding above and below the break until the ends are back in place. Then apply the splint to immobilize the leg.
Apply neosporin or other topical antibiotc to any wounds.
Adding some type of antibiotic to her drinking water would be good if there is a break in the skin.

 

[Faith]

Thank you Moonwalker.

She is extremely strong when putting the sling on with her hurt leg. It really surprised me. She is by herself in the Chicken Tracter, eating, drinking to her heart's content.

 

[Faith]

She is doing much better today. No slipped tendon. I don't think her leg is broken just strained. She laid an egg yesterday, is still eating & thirsting & much content.

This forum is so helpful. Thank you all!

 

[dogzrule5]

A couple of years ago I came home to my littler rooster hanging upside down on the fence gate. Evidently he had perched and slipped. When he fell, his leg was on the opposite side of the gate from his body. Poor little thing wasn't even moving and I thought he was dead.

After quickly looking to see that he was in fact very much alive, I took hold of his leg just above and below where it was stuck, and quickly pulled him free. Of course he screamed his head off and went racing for the barn. I thought - ok - he'll just mend. Well, the next day the other rooster was after him so I caught Woodstock (the injured roo) and kept him in the garage in a dog crate for two months. His legged healed; he's gimpy and I'm sure he has arthritis, but he gets around just fine and can hold his own with the other roo.